Whispers on the Wind
by Lucerna Tenebris
Summary: A young woman is chosen by the Man in the Moon to become the Witch of the Wind, and begins to make new friends... And enemies. Rated T for adult language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**In which I answer my cell phone.**

* * *

_"Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin' alive, stayin' alive…"_

I really needed to change my ringtone. If I had done that a week ago like I had meant to, then I wouldn't be waking up it now. Damn, it was irritating. Why wouldn't it stop ringing?

After flopping my arm around the nightstand for a moment trying to find my phone I actually got my head off the pillow to check the time and who was calling.

"Really, Ash? Is the party really so great you needed to call me at 2 AM?" My best friend answered with a piteous sob, "Josh dumped me!" I rolled my eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry, but I'm in bed right now, trying to sleep like the rest of the world. Can this wait until morning?" "No, wait, don't hang up! You don't get it, he dumped me at the party, and he was my ride!"

At this point I sat up and turned on the light; I wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon. "That sucks, must have been a awkward ride home." "No," She paused to sob again, "He took some other girl home, I'm still stuck in the city, everyone else left and I don't know who else to call. Can you pick me up?" "Of course. Where are you?"

Three minutes later I was dressed and on my way to what was definitely one of the sketchier areas of the city. I double checked the address as I pulled into the parking lot next to the party's alleged location. I was in the right place, but Ashley was nowhere to be found. I pulled out my phone and tried to call, but it went straight to voicemail. I looked around the area one more time and confirmed; there was no one here. Which meant either Ashley got a ride or she wandered off.

I sighed and got out of the car, making sure to lock the doors, and pulled my jacket around myself more tightly as I headed south. "Ashley?" No answer. "Aaaashleeeey!" Still nothing. "ASHLEY!" This last attempt got a response from a nearby dog, but my best friend was still nowhere. _You have got to be kidding me._ Still walking I pulled out my phone one last time and dialed her number.

_Brrrrrrng. Brrrrrng. Brrr-_ "Please tell me you're here," Ashley sounded freaked out as she finally answered the phone.

"I am, but where are you?"

"I'm on fifth street, some guys showed up and started harassing me so I started walking." "Are they following you?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't feel safe, please hurry."

"I'm on my way, start where you are."

I broke into a run as I hung up the phone. It wasn't unlike Ashley to exaggerate and be melodramatic, but under the circumstances I didn't want to take the chance. _Eighth… Seventh…_ "My friend is coming to pick me up soon, and he's a professional boxer!" I heard Ashley from two streets away and she sounded panicked. I began to sprint, knowing I had to reach her before she either was attacked or was viciously embarrassed by some poor guys she misjudged.

As I turned the corner onto fifth Street my heart stopped. She definitely hadn't been exaggerating. There were two guys there, and one had a hold on Ashley's arm. The other had a knife.

Fear paralyzed me for a moment until Ashley caught sight of me and screamed, "HELP!" Adrenaline kicked in, my mind went blank and I launched myself at the guy who was restraining Ashley, knocking him down and forcing him to release her. "RUN!" I yelled at her, scrambling to my feet and following her as she sped back the way I had come. It couldn't have been more than 4 seconds before I heard the men pursuing, shouting obscenities and promises I hoped they never had the opportunity to keep.

I caught up to Ashley easily, wondering why the hell she hadn't taken off her high heeled boots, and tossed her my car keys, breathing hard "I'm parked… in the parking lot… next to the party. Go!"

With that I slowed down to give her a head start and make sure that our attackers followed me, not her. I had a chance at outrunning them, she didn't, but maybe if she got to the car we'd both have a shot at escaping.

As soon as I was confident enough to take the chance that they would go after the seemingly easier prey I turned onto a side street. Thankfully, depending on how you view it, they followed. I counted to five in my head, hearing them start to catch up, and then began to sprint again. They fell behind as I wove through the streets of the darkened city, but I was running out of energy fast. I wouldn't be able to keep this pace much longer. _Maybe if I…_

I turned into an alleyway between the streets and tried to head back towards where the car was, hoping to get there before they caught up. All of the sudden I realized that I had a cell phone. _Idiot. _I yanked it out of my bag and began to dial 911 without slowing down. This presented a problem as I continued to press the wrong buttons and I glanced at the screen for a moment to press the call button. _Brrrrng. Brrr-_

The phone fell to the ground with a sharp crack as I turned one last time and nearly ran into a fence. "Shit!" Climbing the fence wasn't an option; it was topped with barbed wire. I heard their footsteps approaching and desperately looked around for something to arm myself. There was nothing but a few trash bags and a fire escape. _FIRE ESCAPE!_ I didn't give it a second thought, I just grabbed onto the bottom rung of the ladder and pulled myself up.

I was barely at the first landing when they reached the alleyway, but their confusion gave me a few precious extra seconds to gain more ground as I ran up the stairs. This caught their attention and they easily hoisted themselves up the ladder and onto the fire escape after me, their shouting becoming strained now as they began to run out of breath.

The windows were all closed. Every single one as I ran higher and higher on the fire escape. I was quickly running out of options. _Please let there be rooftop access. _I climbed one more ladder now to the roof, eight stories off the ground, and stopped dead. The entire roof was completely flat and covered with gravel. There was nothing. No door, no place to hide.

_Maybe the nearest building is close enough to jump to!_ I wasn't even thinking straight now as I ran to the opposite edge and peered over. It went straight down to the street, and I was running out of time. I could hear them on the ladder now.

"Bitch finally stopped running… 'Bout time…" They were out of breath, but more irritated for it as they started towards me.

I was frozen with terror as I watched, until one of them said "Damn, after that workout? You'd better show me and my pal a good time, make it worth our while, you know what I mean?"

_I'd rather die._ And that was it. "I would rather die!"

Those were my last words as I turned my back to them and jumped.

The wind ripped at my clothes as I fell, as if trying to slow my descent or even to push me back up to the roof. Then I hit the ground. _Oh god oh god it hurts oh god I'm going to die it hurts. _All I could think of was the pain as I laid there, broken and bleeding, but not yet dead. I don't know how long it took, but I remember this; the last thing I saw before I died was the moon. It was full and very bright, and somehow calming. As I watched it my pain faded to nothingness. Then I closed my eyes and faded along with it.

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**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, so please be kind when you read and review! This is a Rise of the Guardians fanfic (Although that may not be obvious yet) and will incorporate many of the characters from the movie, plus a few who weren't. Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**In which I take a walk**

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The first thing I was aware of was the moon. It was full and bright in the sky, directly overhead. Slowly, I regained self awareness.

"I'm… alive?"

It shouldn't have been possible. I had fallen from the roof, I remembered hitting the ground. My legs were broken. My back was broken. My EVERYTHING was broken.

I slowly sat up, trying to sense any pain from my earlier ordeal. Nothing was wrong. No broken legs, no pain, not even a scratch. _This isn't possible. _I got to my feet and looked around me. I was in the city still, in the exact place I had fallen. It was nighttime and the streets were empty. I was completely alone.

"Hello?" Had Ashley not called for help? I couldn't hear any police sirens, but there's no way she would have just gotten in my car and driven away. She would have at least called for help, if not waited for me, locked safely in the car.

I walked to the nearest street and looked around, but there were no people out. _I guess I wasn't unconscious for too long if it's still early morning. _I got my bearings and realized I wasn't too far from the parking lot where, hopefully, Ashley was waiting for me. I walked slowly, still adjusting to not having almost every bone in my body broken.

The parking lot was empty. _I don't understand. She didn't call for help and she left without me? In my own car?_ I stood there, dumbfounded, for a few seconds before sighing and continuing on towards the bus station. It wouldn't be open yet, but I could wait there until it was.

The bus station was empty too, much to my sarcastic surprise. But it was lit, and there were benches I could sit down on. It had been a long night, after all.

I sat down and closed my eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. That's when I heard it, as if the wind itself had carried it to my ears.

_You are the Witch of the Wind_.

"Wha-?!" I sat up straight, looking around to see who had spoken. It sounded as if it had been very close, even though the voice was soft. There was no one there, nothing that could explain where those words could have come from. I stood up and slowly turned around, carefully scouring each shadow for any hint of life.

_You are the Witch of the Wind._

I was getting scared now. There was no one there, but someone was speaking to me, and speaking nonsense at that. My eyes were drawn upwards, to the sky once again. To the moon.

"What the hell is going on?" I had nearly died, been abandoned by my best friend, and now I was hearing things. I was too scared to wait for the bus now. I was already close to the edge of the city, my home was only a few miles away. I would walk if I had to.

I didn't hear that voice again, and the sun was just starting to rise as I finally made it back to my hometown. Some people were just waking up, some were already out and about. A pair of joggers passed by me talking to each other about some diet fad. My neighbor, Mrs. Baker, was walking her toy poodle. I passed her on my way down my street.

"Hello Mrs. Baker," I said as I passed by her. Having a bad night was no reason to be rude, especially when she could (and would) complain to the landlady. Mrs. Baker didn't answer me. In fact, she passed right by me without making eye contact.

"Rude much?" I muttered under my breath as soon as I was sure she was out of earshot.

And finally I reached my home, tiny apartment that it is. The door to the building was propped open, which isn't unusual if someone is moving in or out. I guessed one of my neighbors was leaving, judging by the boxes being packed into the moving van.

I didn't start to panic until I saw that my own apartment door was propped open as well, and the movers were in the process of removing my furniture.

"Hey! What are you doing? That's my stuff, you can't just take it!" They completely ignored my as I stormed up to them.

"How did you get in here? Did Ms. Marshal let you in? I paid my damn rent on time, she has no right to do this, put my stuff back right now!" The movers lifted up my couch and began to haul it to the door.

"Stop right now, you can't do this-" I reached out to grab one of the movers by the shoulder, and nearly screamed when my hand passed right through his body as if it wasn't there.

"What… what..?" I started to hyperventilate now.

"Hello! Can you see me? HELLO?" I waved my arms like a crazy woman, desperate to get their attention. _This cannot be happening. This can NOT be happening. Oh my god, what's happening?_

Confused, and more than a little scared, I sat down on the floor of my rapidly-emptying apartment and began to cry.

An hour later, all of my belongings had been taken out, boxed up, and shipped off to god-knows-where. My landlady, Ms. Marshal, had come, done her inspection, walked right through me, and gone. Everything was gone, and I was not only invisible but incorporeal.

"Okay, need to keep it together. Need to keep calm. So what if they can't see me? I'll find a way to make contact. Like Patrick Swazye in Ghost. Only I'm not dead. Why am I talking to myself? Agh! I need to find Ashley!"

I got to my feet and ran out of my apartment and down to the main street of town. No one saw me, they couldn't hear me when I tried to get their attention, and if I got in their way they simply walked right through me. I learned quickly to just avoid being walked through.

Ashley's house was only 4 blocks away from my former apartment, and I knocked at the door frantically. So far I had been able to interact with objects, so maybe she would hear it and..

"Answer the door, Ashley!"

Silence. The curtains were all closed, preventing me from looking inside, and no one answered the door. I didn't know where else to go now. I saw down and waited on her front porch steps.

After two hours I finally got some news, but not the kind of news I wanted to hear. If there's one thing you can always count on a neighbor to do, it's to gossip.

"Poor Ashley.. Is she still down there?"

"Oh yes, she visits every day. It's really torn her up."

"It's such a loss. They were both so full of life and potential. Now one's gone and the other may as well be for how she acts."

"Stays down at the graveyard all day…"

I didn't stay to hear any more. I didn't need to and I certainly didn't want to. I ran all the way to the graveyard in town.

I should have known better.

"Ashley?" My best friend was kneeling in front of a grave, completely unresponsive to me. She was just staring at the engraved words. In a moment, so was I.

_Rona Valentine_

_Beloved daughter, sister and friend_

_May 28__th__ 1994-November 6th 2012_

"I'm dead," I whispered. "That… That's my name. I'm dead. But I'm here..."

"Ashley!" It was Ashley's mother who finally broke us both out of our trance.

"Your neighbor told me you were here again. Honey, this isn't healthy. Rona would want us to remember her, but not like this. It's been a month…" Their voices faded away as they left me alone at my grave as the sun set and night fell.

A month. I had been dead for an entire month. I sat down and hugged my knees, staring at my gravestone. _I wanted to go back to school. I wanted to reconnect with my mom. I wanted to go to one of Ashley's parties. Why did I wait? _ I looked up at the moon, tears streaming down my face. _Why am I here?_

I was answered by a strange and yet familiar voice.

_You are the Witch of the Wind._

I screamed back at the moon, "WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?"

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**I know the story is progressing slowly, but hey the chapters are short and I don't want to rush it. You'll meet more characters and get to know the Witch of the Wind better in the next chapter, I promise.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**In which I eat a cinnamon roll**

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"So, tell me why you're here."

"You know why I'm here. It's right there in your little clipboard."

"I'd rather hear it from you. Tell me what happened in your own words."

This was the third therapist Ashley had been to. I knew because I had gone to every session with her, trying to make her hear me or realize I was there. I tried shouting, jumping around, and knocking things over, anything to make contact and pull her out of this.

"My best friend died because of me. She saved my life and died all because I went to a stupid party."

"Why do you blame yourself for her death?"

"Because she wouldn't be dead if it weren't for me. She wouldn't have even been in the city."

"But if she hadn't been in the city, you could have died."

"Maybe it should have happened that way."

Every visit went the same way. Ashley blamed herself for my death, the therapist tried to make her see sense, I knocked something over but was ignored, and it ended with a new prescription for various anti-depressants she would ultimately refuse to take. I walked next to Ashley on her way home every time, and talked to her even though she couldn't hear me.

"It's been two months you know, you can't keep living like a zombie. Its February now, spring is on its way. You love spring, remember? Because you don't have to wear a heavy coat." She was silent as we trudged along.

"Remember Groundhog's day? It's tomorrow. Remember how we used to make fun of it for being a shitty holiday?"

A cold wind blew by and Ashley shivered. I sighed and then concentrated. In the past two months I had tried everything to get her attention, but even the abilities I had discovered were pretty much pointless. I could control the wind; even make it carry me if I wanted it to. I could will it to be warm or cold or absolutely still. But I still couldn't make Ashley see or hear me. At least I could keep her warm on her walks home.

Since my death Ashley had moved back into her parent's house. Someone had moved into my apartment, my parents and sister had gone through my belongings and donated most them to charity. So much had changed, but I still wasn't able to contact them. They didn't know I was still here.

Ashley went into her room and closed the door behind her. I guess she wanted some privacy. I could hear her starting to cry and tried one more time.

"Ashley, please don't cry. I'm still here, and it wasn't your fault. Can you hear me?" No, she couldn't.

I sighed and walked back to the door, pausing in the front hallway to look in the mirror there. Two months and my world had been turned upside down, but I still looked the same. Long blond hair, pale skin, bluish green eyes, worn jeans, beat up sneakers and a long black winter coat. I could see myself in the mirror, but no one else could. I had tried.

I walked out the door and back to Main Street. There was a cruddy little motel there that always had vacancies. Even though I didn't need to sleep anymore, I could, and sometimes it was a good way to pass the time. I had been staying there for the past 6 weeks or so, and for how crappy it was it had a decent view of a nearby park.

I stood at the window and watched people pass by outside for a few hours. It didn't feel like that long, but before I knew it the sun had set, and the moon was rising. It was full again. It had been full quite often in the past two months. It was as if it had given up altogether on following the typical 28 day cycle.

I hadn't heard that voice again, the one that called me the Witch of the Wind. _I can control the wind. Big whoop. Why am I still here? I'm dead, shouldn't I go to heaven or hell or something? Or is this limbo? _The moon didn't answer. It just shone brighter through the window.

I remembered a rhyme my mother had taught me when I was young about the moon. No, wait, not the moon…

"The Man in the Moon as he sailed the sky was a brave and remarkable skipper,

But he made a mistake when he tried to take a drink of milk from the Dipper.

He dipped right into the Milky Way and slowly carefully sipped it

But the Big Bear growled, and the Little Bear howled

And scared him so that he spilled it!"

I laughed at the memory of campfires and silly rhymes about the face on the moon and closed the blackout curtains. The bed was warm and inviting, and I fell asleep quickly.

February 2nd, 2013. Groundhog Day.

"Shittiest holiday of the year," I muttered to myself, staring at the ceiling. I had slept through the night, but I hadn't dreamt. In fact, I hadn't had a dream since I died. I missed my dreams.

After ten minutes I finally pulled myself out of bed and left the motel. Main Street was bustling with activity, small shops advertising business, a breakfast place crammed with people trying to get something to eat before the big Groundhog's day 'celebration'. As if a little animal looking for its shadow was a big deal.

I didn't need to, but the cinnamon rolls smelled so delicious I couldn't resist swiping one to nibble on while I followed the majority of the crowd to the Groundhog's Stump. _This is a stupid tradition. How does an early spring or 6 more weeks of winter have any impact on life? It feels the same either way._

People kept walking through me to get a better look at the famous 'Stump', and it was really getting on my nerves.

"I am still here, people!" As if responding to my irritation the wind picked up around me, but no one else seemed to care. I sighed and let the wind carry me up to the lower branches of a nearby tree. _Better view up here anyways. _

"Welcome to the annual Groundhog's Day Celebration!" the mayor's voice echoed through the microphone as the 'festivities' began. I leaned back against the tree trunk and zoned out.

"Six more weeks of winter!" An unfamiliar voice rang through the area and I sat up, confused. Normally the mayor gave the whole speech himself. I looked through the crowd, but no one else seemed confused. It was as if they hadn't heard it at all. I carefully searched the entire area with my eyes, but I didn't see anything unusual.

Then I turned my attention back to the Groundhog's Stump and fell off my branch. There was a giant furry THING on it!

"Gah! What the hell?!" No one else saw it, the same way they didn't see me. _They can't see either of us… can it see me?_ I walked through the crowd, trying to ignore the creepy feeling of walking through people, and approached the stump. I jumped the temporary barrier that had been set up and then stopped, watching the creature. It seemed to be watching me as well.

"Hello? Can you see me?"

"Of course I can see you; you're standing right in front of me!" I really hadn't been expecting it to reply.

"Ah… Um… No one else can see me. Why can you? What are you?"

"You must be new. Of course they can't see us; they never do. But we can see each other. And what do you mean what am I? You're at MY celebration! I'm the Groundhog!"

"Uh… Right. The Groundhog. Sure." _That definitely isn't crazy. Nope, not at all._

"Who are you?"

"I'm… Well. I'm the Witch of the Wind, I guess."

"You guess? Are you having an identity crisis or are you just naturally confused?"

"Neither, I'm dead."

"Yeah, that's how it works. We die and the Man in the Moon chooses us."

"Who's 'we'? Are there more… People like us?"

"Quite a few! All those stories you grew up with, every myth and legend, is true. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Boogeyman-"

"And the Groundhog?"

"Exactly."

"So why are we here? You said the Man in the Moon chooses us, but what for?"

"We're here to make people believe, to give them hope and bring magic to the world. Each of us is chosen for a different reason, and have certain things to bring to the world. For instance, I make the decision every year if there is to be an early spring or six more weeks of winter. And you… Actually, I haven't heard of the Witch of the Wind… Hey, don't look so disappointed, that's a good thing! Manny must have created a position for you, I guess."

"And I'm supposed to make people believe in me? _I_ don't even believe in me."

"Don't think about it like that. You get to create your own legend. I was chosen as a groundhog because of a tradition that already existed; people would look for groundhogs as a way of determining the arrival of spring."

"I still don't understand why I'm here. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, or what I can even do yet."

"It may take some time, but don't worry. Everything will turn out alright. Ah, I have to run, it's about time for me to make my appearance in the next time zone over. Come back tomorrow!"

He jumped behind his stump before I could ask any more questions. I ran after him, but by the time I got there he was gone. _Come back tomorrow? To talk to a Groundhog? Maybe this is limbo; nothing makes sense._

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**Here's chapter three for you guys! Thanks so much for reading, I promise things will pick up soon. Please review, favorite and follow if you like it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**In which I insult inanimate objects**

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The next day I was back at the stupid stump, waiting for the stupid Groundhog. _This is stupid. I've been waiting here for two stupid hours._

I had tried to entertain myself by watching the people passing by, but I had been doing that for months now, and it nearly bored me to death a second time. It wasn't long before I decided to practice flying.

I was still pretty unsteady about the whole process, especially getting into the air. So far the best way for me to get started was to jump into the air and then get the wind to carry me farther. Which felt pretty silly if I failed at first, because it looked like I was just hopping around. I knew no one could actually see me, but it still felt embarrassing.

After a couple of tries I was in the air, doing figure eights around two nearby trees. I bumped into the trunks a few times at first, but pretty soon I had it down and decided to go higher up.

"Woah," The view from 200 feet up was pretty cool, even though I could feel my heart pounding. Still, I wanted to see how high I could go. Before long I was flying higher than the clouds. I couldn't even make out the details of my town anymore. There was nothing but the wind.

The longer I stayed up there, the less afraid I felt at being so high up. I breathed deeply and then began to descend again. Landings are still a bit iffy for me, and I ended up in a sprawled pile on the ground.

"Ow."

"That was graceful," Groundhog commented from his stump.

"I've been practicing, can't you tell?" I got up and brushed myself off.

"So, where were we before? Oh right, why you're here. I can't say for sure, but Manny saw something in you that was worth preserving and he thinks you can bring it to the world. That's why you're here, what you're meant to do."

"Okay, so how am I supposed to do that if no one can see, hear or touch me?"

"You'll find a way."

"I'm sorry, could you be a bit more vague?"

"You have got to be kidding me, Groundhog," an accented voice said from behind me.

I turned around in time to see a 6 foot tall, upright rabbit pop out of a hole in the ground. _What?_

"Ah, Bunny, nice to see you again," The Groundhog's voice held a tinge of sarcasm as he greeted the giant Australian rabbit. I was too weirded out to even speak at the point.

"Six more weeks of winter AGAIN? This is the sixth time in a row! Are you trying to ruin Easter?" Bunny grabbed one of his boomerangs and used it for emphasis to point at Groundhog accusingly.

"Winter will end in plenty of time for you to hide your little eggs, Bunny."

"Do you want another repeat of '68? It's like you're asking Frost to drop a foot of snow on my egg hunts."

"Don't be so dramatic-"

Finally it clicked in my head who the giant bunny was.

"You're the Easter Bunny?!"

He looked over at me and then back at Groundhog.

"Who's she?"

"The Witch of the Wind."

"Never heard of her."

"I'm right here!" I was getting really irritated now. Not only was I in the presence of the Groundhog and the Easter Bunny, I was being blatantly disrespected by the latter.

"Look, Bunny, she's new and a bit confused. She hasn't really met anyone yet and she can't even fly."

"Yes, I can, you saw me."

"No, I saw you fall. Keep practicing, though!"

Bunny shook his head and muttered, "I don't have time for this. I want an early spring next year, alright mate?" With that he thumped his foot on the ground and a hole opened up. He jumped down and the hole disappeared before I could look to see where it went.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"So... That was the Easter Bunny."

"Yep."

"He's bigger than I expected."

"Yep."

"And Australian?"

"Don't call him a kangaroo."

"Right, well, I'm gonna go somewhere where I feel less crazy."

This time I managed to keep my dignity intact and fly away on the first try.

Two weeks later I was wandering the skies at night, having finally managed to master the art of the takeoff but not yet the landing. All of the sudden there was a quick flash of light as some kind of small bird-like creature flew by me. Curious, I followed it to its destination, an open bedroom window where a small child slept.

As I watched the small hummingbird-like thing wriggled under the pillow holding a coin and emerged with a tooth. _The tooth fairy?_ It nearly flew right into me as it left, squeaking at me in a high pitched tone before flying around me and off into the night. I had nothing better to do than sate my curiosity, so I followed.

The tooth fairy was incredibly fast, I had never flown so fast before and was worried at first that I would lose control, but the wind carried me steadily behind her. After a few minutes we were joined by other hummingbird-creatures. _Not the tooth fairy, a tooth fairy. Didn't realize there are more than one._

They gave a few chirps to each other when they saw me, but ultimately seemed to ignore me. I would have been hurt before, but now I was starting to get used to it.

They flew up into the cloud cover and I lost them for a moment when I followed, but then I stopped and stared as they entered what seemed to be a palace floating in the sky.

It was incredible. It was just as colorful as they were, with shining golds and blues and reds. They fairies I had been following went to some kind of storage area where they placed the teeth in little capsules, then continued on to what seemed to be a distribution center. There they each grabbed another coin and hurried back out again.

At the center of it all was a human-like tooth fairy, which I could only assume at this point was THE Tooth Fairy. I began to approach her but she didn't seem to notice me. She was giving instructions to the other fairies and was obviously very excited over the teeth being brought in.

When I got within twenty feet one of the fairies she was talking to gave a sharp trill and the Tooth Fairy turned around and gasped when she saw me. Then she quickly flew over, getting right up in my face and asking questions, seeming very suspicious of me.

"Who are you? How did you get here? Did someone send you?" The questions continued like that for a minute while I waited for her to stop for my answers. Finally I interrupted her.

"I'm the Witch of the Wind, I saw your fairies and was curious and I followed them here."

She stopped and looked confused for a moment.

"The Witch of the Wind? I haven't heard of you. I haven't seen you before either."

"I'm new."

"So why are you here?"

"What do you mean? Why am I here as in physically here in this place? Because I already answered that; I followed your fairies. But if you meant to ask why I'm here at all, I have no idea."

"Bicuspid in sector four, two lateral incisors in sector fifteen and- oh, sorry, what did you say? It's been really busy tonight- oh, look at that molar!" She was already caught back up in her work, so I carefully landed on one of the nearby platforms (without looking like an idiot or falling) and began to walk around, trying to take in as much of this place as I could.

After half an hour of wandering around and carefully hop-flying from platform to platform I found a small piece of ground (in the air?) complete with a pond and a stone wall painted with a mural. The mural showed the tooth fairy and some children, which I thought strange considering that children don't typically see the tooth fairies. At least, I never did.

I sighed and sat down on a rock, staring at the water in the pond and completely zoning out. After a while I heard some chirping and looked up.

"So you are still here! Sorry we couldn't be introduced properly before, so much to be done! I'm the Tooth Fairy and-"

"I kinda already guessed that actually."

"Aheh, yeah, I guess so huh? So you're the Witch of the Wind?"

"Apparently."

"Well, I can't just call you that all the time, it's a bit of a mouthful. Maybe I could just call you Witch?"

"That doesn't seem like a very good nickname. How about you just call me Rona? It's, well, it was my name before."

"Okay then, Rona. Nice to meet you Rona. You said you were new, how new are you if you don't mind me asking?"

"About three months now."

"Wow, really new. You weren't even here when Pitch attacked, and that was recent."

"Pitch?"

"Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting you're new."

"We were literally just discussing it."

"Right, well, Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, decided to strike against the Guardians-"

"The Guardians?" It would be so much easier if she gave me some background before going into full-on story mode.

"The Guardians are.. Well, it's me, North, you know him as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman and Jack Frost. We protect the children of the world."

"And the Boogeyman attacked you?"

"Not just us, he declared war on the children of the world. He almost made them stop believing entirely, but Jack Frost managed to turn the tide and he was destroyed by his own NightMares."

"Oookay. This is a lot to take in at one time, so let me clarify. In addition to the Man in the Moon choosing people to be supposedly legendary beings-"

"Yep."

"Some of them, the most famous of them it seems, have the responsibility to take care of the children of the world-"

"Ahuh."

"And these Guardians fought off the Boogeyman recently."

"Exactly!" One of her fairies flew up and chirped a few times, calling her away.

"Well, duty calls! You can stick around for a while if you want, it was nice meeting you!" She flew off, leaving me there at the pond.

* * *

**Four chapters down, woo hoo! I think it's going well so far, sorry if some of you are getting impatient for me to get to the action. I promise it's coming... In the next chapter! Please favorite, follow and review if you like it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**In which I look at teeth**

* * *

I spent an entire day at the Tooth Palace, wandering around and watching the tooth fairies do their work. It was a sort of organized chaos, with new teeth to collect every minute, each one collected, catalogued and stored. Each one, according to Tooth, containing precious memories of childhood.

It wasn't long until I became curious about my own teeth. I barely remembered losing my first tooth, let alone the rest of them. _What memories of mine are stored here? _I sought out Tooth to ask her.

"Can I see my teeth? I want to remember what of my childhood is stored in them." The bird-like woman seemed incredibly pleased with my request and replied even more energetically than usual (if that was possible).

"Of course! That's why we store them here. Come on, we'll get them right now!"

She flitted off towards the storage area, leaving me struggling to keep up. If anything my flying skills were drastically improved after spending time with the fairies; I hadn't bumped into anything for two hours.

We arrived at the storage area in no time, the wall honeycombed with spaces waiting for the capsules of teeth and the painted faces of the children of the world. Tooth didn't hesitate as I did, overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. She went straight to where my teeth were, stored right next to my sister's. I stopped there for a moment, staring at her image. I missed my sister. I missed my best friend. I missed my life.

Tooth, seeming to pick up on my melancholy mood, silently handed me the round canister that contained my teeth. I took it from her and examined it; a golden container with one flat surface. It was decorated with a beautiful and colorful pattern of diamonds that shone with a light of their own. The diamonds spread across my vision and I remembered.

_My big sister was waiting for me at the classroom door when the bell rang. _

"_So what did you learn about today?"_

"_Ms. Staven taught us about the water cycle, and how to spell the word precipitation! That's where snow comes from!" My sister laughed._

"_Who needs to know where it comes from? It doesn't make snow days any funner!"_

"_Hey, funner's not a word! You made that up" I gave her a playful shove and she grinned at me._

"_Well then it should be!"_

* * *

_I was really nervous about prom. My date was known for blowing girls off, my dress had a huge tear that was mended at the last minute by my mom and everything was going to be a disaster, I just knew it. Ashley was there getting ready for me, and she saw me about to cry and gave me a hug. _

"_Come on, it'll be great! We'll dance, and go to an after party and maybe we'll even get lucky tonight." She lowered her voice to whisper this last part conspiratorially, winking at me. I giggled through my tears. _

"_And afterwards, we'll take our dates out to the woods and sacrifice them to the god of college applications and traveling abroad…" She continued like this for two minutes, each story sillier than the last. Ashley always managed to cheer me up and make me forget why I was sad in the first place._

* * *

_The cliff edge reached over 200 feet high, and the climb had definitely been worth it. My hands and arms ached from so much climbing, and the harness had tightened uncomfortably around my legs, but it was quickly forgotten as I looked down at the forested area below. Far off I could see a ranger station, and the road that stretched beyond where I could see. It was as if I was alone, looking down at an empty world. Almost. _

"_That climb took forever," Ashley complained._

"_Yeah, but look at this view," my sister replied. _

"_You two are a bunch of nature freaks," Ashley laughed at us and we grinned back at her. _

"_And you're a spoiled brat."_

"_What's your point?" We all laughed together now, this moment together preserved forever in our memories. The two most important people in my life._

* * *

When I returned to the present, I was crying. I felt their loss still, but this had renewed the memories I had with them, the love I felt.

I stood there for a few moments staring at the container still, and then replaced it in the wall. I was glad to see that Tooth had left me, allowing me some privacy to immerse myself in my memories. Smiling, I wiped away my tears and went to thank her. _No wonder they keep the teeth. _

Tooth was flitting from place to place in the Tooth Palace faster than I could catch up with her, so eventually I sat down and waited for her to settle down. It was only an hour before she finally realized I was waiting for her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"A lot better actually. Thank you for letting me see those memories again. It helped a lot." Tooth smiled, looking almost maternal.

"Of course. I'm glad I could help."

She could only spend a few moments talking to me before she was called away again, but this time it wasn't for teeth. It was for the Aurora Borealis.

I didn't understand what she seemed so shocked about, I hadn't seen the Northern Lights before, but it wasn't that big of a deal. At least not to me. To Tooth it was apparently something very serious, because she didn't even say goodbye before she took off at full speed, headed north.

"What's going on?" I asked some of the fairies who were watching Tooth leave, tailed by several of her fairies. They didn't answer me; they were too busy chirping amongst themselves. Whatever those lights meant must be really important.

I didn't have anything better to do, and my curiosity always managed to get the better of me. At least out in the open I could fly a lot faster than at the Tooth Palace (less to fly into) and almost managed to catch up to Tooth. We passed over Russia and into the Arctic Circle, following the lights. As we neared what appeared to be a large wooden building built into the ice I felt incredibly grateful that my abilities allowed me to bring a warm wind with me; I would be freezing otherwise.

As we entered the building I slowed down, losing track of Tooth. I was too distracted by the new scene I had just entered.

The main room was enormous; a giant globe covered in lights stood at the center. Surrounding it, were tables full of toys, some finished and some obviously full of progress. The air was full of model airplanes flying on their own and the scent of cookies. It was an amazing sight. _This must be Santa's workshop. But I thought the toys were made by elves? _

Instead of pointy-eared toymakers, giant furry beings sat at the tables creating the toys. Some were walking around talking to each other in an incomprehensible language. After a moment I noticed the elves; pointy-headed little guys no higher than my ankle scurrying about doing.. I actually couldn't tell what they were up to. I'm not sure they knew what they were doing either.

I landed and began to walk slowly, looking around in pure wonder. A few of the Yetis gave me a strange look, as if wondering what I was doing there, but ultimately ignored me. A few minutes later, I remembered why I was there in the first place when I heard a familiar Australian rabbit arguing with a man with a Russian accent.

I tried to enter the scene as quietly as I could. The Easter Bunny was talking to a large man in a red coat- the one with the Russian accent- and he was obviously upset. For that matter, everyone in the room seemed to be upset. It wasn't hard to figure out who was who, based on Tooth's description.

They were all arguing, no wait, they weren't arguing, just very stressed about something. A decision to be made about… Pitch? _The Boogeyman? I thought he was destroyed by his NightMares._

"Hey guys, we have an audience." A young male voice sounded from my right, alerting the others of my presence. It must have been Jack Frost, judging from his white hair, bare feet and the staff he carried.

North and Bunny both turned to me, drawing their weapons. Sandy summoned up a glowing substance- the dream sand Tooth talked about? Tooth, after seeing me, gasped and flew in front of North and Bunny, stopping them before they could charge.

"It's alright guys, she's a friend! She must have followed me here." Bunny got a better look at me and put his boomerangs away.

"You again! Did you get tired of hanging out with the Groundhog?"

"You have met this girl?" North asked Tooth and Bunny.

"She's the Witch of the Wind, Rona. She came to the Tooth Palace about a day ago. She's really new."

"But why is she here?"

"A new character in the story, how very exciting," an English-accented voice came from behind North, the speaker blocked from my view.

"Isn't anyone going to introduce me?" North stepped back now, allowing me to see the speaker for the first time.

He was wearing a black robe and pants, his hair a matching color and his skin an ashen gray. His eyes were a yellowish golden color that seemed to observe me with a flippant air. A tinge of fear swept through me and he smiled seeming to sense it. I would have been truly frightened if not for the golden chains made of dream sand that restrained him.

"The Witch of the Wind? I've never heard of you. Then again, some stories aren't worth hearing, are they-" He was cut off midsentence by North.

"You! You have caused enough trouble! You threaten the children, the Guardians, hope and dreams. How did you survive the NightMares?" Pitch laughed, managing to be condescending even while in chains.

"That is my secret to know, and yours to envy."

"Guys, we have more important things to worry about," Tooth reminded them.

"He can't be let loose again, is too dangerous." North said.

"So we kill him?" Bunny pulled out his boomerang once again.

"No, we can't do that! You know the Man in the Moon wouldn't approve of unwarranted violence." Tooth seemed to be the voice of reason in this group.

"Does the dream sand restrain him completely?" They seemed a bit surprised that I had actually spoken, and stared at me for a moment before turning to Sandy. A golden thumbs-up formed over his head and he nodded.

"Can it be maintained even if you aren't in proximity to him?" Sandy nodded again.

"Then keep him here, locked up, where you can keep an eye on him."

"Well, aren't you a clever little witch." Pitch obviously didn't like the idea, judging by the near-lethal amounts of sarcasm and detestation in his voice. North seemed to think about it for a moment, stroking his beard, and then slowly nodded.

"This… could work. It is decided. Pitch will stay here at the pole, under guard and Sandy's chains."

I accidentally met Pitch's gaze once more as the Yetis came to carry him off to his new prison. His eyes were so full of hatred that I shuddered. He was definitely the King of Nightmares; just seeing him scared me.

* * *

**Gah! Followers! As I'm writing this I've got 2 followers and 3 reviews! Thank you so much you guys, it makes me really happy to know you like my stories. Please continue to review, follow or favorite if you're enjoying!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**In which I eat delicious cookies**

* * *

I visited the North Pole often after that day, wandering the workshop and watching toys being built. Sometimes North would even allow me to observe his own creations of ice and magic. For how intimidating he seemed when I first met him, he was actually very friendly. The Yetis weren't too bad either, and they were very skilled craftsmen. The elves were rather irritating and immature, but after a while I learned to be amused by their antics.

I was always careful to avoid the area of the Pole where Pitch was being kept. North would always check on him at least once a day to make sure he was still there, even though three armed Yetis stood guard at all times, one inside the room and two outside. With these safeties in place I wasn't too afraid to be so close to the Boogeyman.

The Pole was constantly busy, despite the fact that Christmas was over half a year away. New toys were being invented, produced and painted daily. The constant smell of cookies wasn't an empty promise either; they were in endless surprise here, and they were quite delicious.

About three weeks after that day I was sitting on the railing overlooking the globe, watching it turn. North had explained to me that each of those lights represented a child who believes. There were so many of them, and the Guardians protect them all. He told me more about how all the lights went out when Pitch attacked, all but one; a boy named Jamie in a town called Burgess. He and his friends stood up to the Boogeyman himself and saved the day.

Once in a while a light would go out. The first time I saw it happen I felt this incredible sadness, remembering when I stopped believing in Santa or the Tooth Fairy. When I went from being a child to having responsibilities and stress. Then I noticed that every time one light went out, somewhere two or even three would replace it. It didn't replace the grief of losing one child entirely, but it softened it to know that children were hearing the stories and beginning to believe every day.

It was a relatively quiet in the workshop today. That is, there were no loud engines running or chainsaws. North walked up behind me with a plate of cookies and stood next to me, watching the globe as well. I snatched one of the cookies off the plate and grinned at him before taking a bite.

"For how inept they are at basically everything else, the elves are pretty good at baking."

"Ah, that is because they perfected the art of not falling into the batter anymore," He laughed loudly at his own joke and gave me a friendly 'pat' on the back that knocked me off the railing. Good thing my reflexes were pretty good, I was able to catch myself before I fell and settled back down on the railing.

There was a moment of silence while I debated whether or not to ask the question that had been on my mind for several days now.

"North, what's going to happen to Pitch? I know I suggested that he be kept here, but it isn't a very good permanent solution."

He sighed and leaned against the railing, rubbing his face for a moment before answering.

"Is best we can do for now. Maybe in a few years he think about what he has done and have a change of heart. I know Manny would not have picked him if there was nothing good about him at all."

"Maybe, maybe not. I suppose the Boogeyman is a necessary evil, after all. Some fear is healthy, it teaches children to be wary of things that are dangerous and act safely. A lot of people even embrace fear with Halloween or horror movies. Despite what Pitch did, I can't believe he's entirely evil when he was chosen for such an important task."

"Eh. We will worry about it later. This topic is too heavy for cookies."

* * *

Sometimes Jack Frost would drop by the Pole, and we'd chat. He was pretty fun in small doses (irritating in large ones) and he gave me some helpful pointers on flying. The wind may not obey him the way it did me, but he depended on it to carry him in almost the same way I did when flying.

I even went to Burgess with him one time and watched him interact with the children. They could all see him, hear and touch him. Even though he told them I was there, none of them could see me. They thought Jack was just pulling a prank on them. I didn't go back to Burgess after that.

I visited my sister once, and spent the day following her. She seemed to be adjusting fairly well, and went about her daily activities normally. But at night she sat down and cried. It hurt to see my big sister, my role model, crying. I couldn't do anything to comfort her, either. I kept my visits to family and friends short from there on out. It just hurt too much to be so close to my past and not be able to go back to the way things were.

Instead I tried to embrace my new self. I experimented with my powers and flew and high and fast as I dared, pushing myself farther every day. I taught myself how to create a whirlwind and how to still the air entirely. If I concentrated very hard, I could even make the air behave like a solid (very handy for revenge pranks on a certain Guardian). But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't make contact with anyone.

I needed to make people believe in me before they could see me, and I had no clue how to do that. I hadn't ever heard of any stories or myths about a 'Witch of the Wind'. I didn't know where to start looking or what to even look for. The saying 'dead men tell no tales' became increasingly frustrating to me as I tried again and again to get people to believe in a girl who controls the wind.

After another month I began to get restless. I couldn't find out anything about who I was supposed to be. No one believed in me or saw me. My only company was North, Jack, the Yetis, and once in a while I'd visit Tooth or run into Sandy while flying around. But it was still pretty lonely.

I was spending most of my days flying to exotic places I could have only dreamt about visiting during my life or hanging around the Pole eating cookies. But the number of new places to visit was limited, and decreasing every day. And there were only so many cookies I could eat before I got sick of them- literally. Apparently being dead doesn't mean you're immune to sugar stomachaches. But they were usually too delicious to resist, so I kept eating them regardless.

* * *

It wasn't long before I found myself wandering down the hallway towards the room where Pitch was being kept. I didn't dare to get close at first; I stopped a few doors away and gave the Yetis an awkward wave, then turned around and left. After doing this a few times I actually went up to the Yetis and tried to start some awkward conversations. Note to self: never try to start awkward conversations with the Yeti.

It wasn't until two weeks of this had passed that a particularly delicious plate of ginger snaps had me going down the hallway again. I was nervous, but I kept in mind what North had said about Pitch maybe having a change of heart. And if there was ever a plate of cookies to initiate a change of heart it was this plate of cookies.

"Hey Phil, Jeff. Don't mind me, I'm just delivering these." I held up the plate of cookies for them to see. The eyed it suspiciously, sniffed it, tasted a cookie, put it back (ew) and finally gave me the okay to go through.

The room was surprisingly well lit, probably to prevent him from using the shadows to leave. But it was colder than the rest of the Pole that I had explored, as cold as it was outside. I found myself calling on the wind to heat up the room without thinking, and this caught the attention of the Boogeyman.

"That's a useful trick," his voice dripped with sarcasm. At this point I think sarcastic is his natural state of being.

"Don't suppose you could convince North to turn up the heat more permanently?"

"Ah.. I'm just bringing you these." I held the plate out towards him so he could see. He took one look at it and scoffed.

"Cookies? Even if I weren't chained up and incapable of feeding myself, what would possibly make you think I would willingly ingest cookies?"

"Because they're delicious?" He laughed at that, the sound making the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge.

"Go tell North that if he wants to try bribing good behavior out of me, he'll need to send better food than that."

In half a second I went from nervous and scared to angry.

"North didn't send me, I came here to bring you some damn cookies but if you're going to be so rude about it I'll go eat them my damn self because they ARE delicious!" Not my proudest moment.

I turned on my heel and stormed out, mumbling angrily about stupid boogeymen who couldn't appreciate sweets. Without thinking I grabbed a cookie and took a bite out of it, then stopped and gagged. _Ugh, it's the one Phil licked! Yuck!_

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**In which I eat some food**

* * *

I spent the next few weeks avoiding spending a lot of time at the Pole. Instead I went to chase down other myths and legends, and go on the vacation some people only dream about.

Hawaii was beautiful in early June, and people seemed to appreciate the gentle breeze I brought with me. I followed a tour around the island of Honolulu for a day, and visited a live volcano. I even gave some inexperienced zipliners a scare with a particularly strong breeze as they crossed a river.

I spent my nights in a first-rate hotel with a balcony overlooking the ocean- the staff left the windows open during good weather when no one was staying in those rooms. It was absolutely perfect.

About four days into my stay, there was a luau at the hotel, all guests were invited. There were hula dancers and traditional Hawaiian music was playing. They even had roasted pig and a variety of fresh fruits to try. It wasn't hard for me to swipe some of the food without anyone noticing, and it was delicious.

It was a beautiful day for a luau, too. There were just enough clouds to provide occasional shade to the guests, but not so many that it wasn't sunny. I made sure to keep a nice cool breeze going, not only to keep the other guests cool but myself as well. As day faded into night the party continued, some guests going to bed and others (the more intoxicated ones, I noticed) staying and providing me with some entertainment.

I found myself following one particular man who was making his way across the dance floor, busting out hilariously bad dance moves. I was flying above him, watching him drunkenly trying to 'bust a move' as he kept repeating to everyone he passed. Eventually he fell a few too many times and decided he needed another drink.

Laughing to myself, I sat down on a bench, looking around at the performers nearby. There were still some hula dancers walking around, and some really cool costumes. One of them was a beautiful woman in shimmering robes with a beautiful headpiece that looked like it was meant to resemble the Earth. She looked my way and smiled.

"Hello."

"Ahh!" I shot up into the air from my seat, startled.

"You can see me?!"

"Of course, dear." She walked towards me, every step graceful and sure. As she got closer I could see her more clearly.

She was incredibly beautiful; her skin was pale and it shined in the moonlight as if it was translucent. Her eyes were a beautiful, clear blue, and her hair was long, black and wavy. Her smile was kind, almost maternal.

"I have not seen you before, but I can assume that you are the Witch of the Wind. Word of your arrival reached me just a few weeks ago." She inclined her head to me in greeting as I landed back on the ground.

"I am Mother Nature."

"Oh." I couldn't really think of anything worthwhile to say.

"Um, hi."

"I was told that you don't know why you're here."

"Yeah, no one has heard of the Witch of the Wind. I have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Don't let this cause you distress, many of those Man in the Moon has chosen do not know their purpose at first. He does not chose idly, though. He has a reason for everything he does."

"I know." It came out a bit sharper than I meant it to and I sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I've heard that before from everyone else. It doesn't really help."

"I know my dear. I understand your frustration. Stay here on Hawaii for a few days more. Relax and enjoy yourself. Do what comes naturally to you and your purpose will follow. I must go now, my duties call me elsewhere. I am sorry I could not ease your mind, but I do not have the answers to your questions. Regardless, I hope to see you again sometime."

With that Mother Nature smiled and patted my shoulder gently before walking gracefully into a tree. By that I mean she literally walked into it, as if it was a doorway to her.

With her words in my mind, I flew up to the hotel and into an empty room. _I have been relaxing here for days already. Does she know that? Or does she want me here for a certain reason?.._

* * *

After several more days of following her advice, I figured that she didn't. It was quite a let-down, even though she had admitted to me that she didn't have the answers I was looking for. Why would she possibly have an alternative reason for advising me to stay here?

I left Hawaii in the middle of the night, following a fairy collecting teeth from the islands back to the Tooth Palace. It was always a beautiful place to visit, despite the constant activity. Tooth seemed as busy as ever with her fairies, but somehow more stressed. I approached her and said hello.

"Sorry Rona, not right now, I'm too busy. Unlike North, we don't only work one day a year!"

It wasn't entirely rude, but she was uncharacteristically irritable for some reason. I was surprised at her, and worried for her. Was something going on?

I decided not to bother her with more questions and turned to leave, but stopped short when I heard a soft voice whispering.

"They don't value the work you do every night, they spend 355 days of the year holed up doing nothing…" I turned around sharply, searching for the voice, but there was no one there. It had sounded so close, as if it had been whispered into my own ear, but no one else heard it. Or it they had, they ignored it.

Tooth caught sight of me again and flitted over.

"I really don't have time, and you're getting in the way of my fairies! Why don't you spend some time with Bunny, he spends 355 days of the year doing nothing, after all."

I was shocked as Tooth flew away. Not only was she inexplicably angry, but she had just repeated the words I had heard. I shivered, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end despite the warm air surrounding me. I felt a pit in my stomach, incredible nervousness and a bit of fear, just as I had when visiting Pitch.

"Something is definitely up." I flew to the Pole as fast as I could to inform North of today's strange events, and the bad feeling I was having.

Contrary to Tooth's irrational statement, North worked almost all year to prepare for Christmas, and was very busy today.

"I have no time, the elves jammed up the production line of most popular toy this year! Now I must fix, I cannot talk." My heart sank, and a terrible feeling of dread swept through me. The Pole didn't feel safe anymore, and I couldn't even say why. That voice that I heard had set me on edge, and I didn't even know who had been speaking.

Before I could double-guess myself, I flew down the hallway to where Pitch was being kept. to make sure he hadn't escaped. The two Yetis were still keeping guard outside the door, completely unresponsive to the voice I heard coming from the room. I paled as I listened to it, the same voice I had heard at the Tooth Palace.

"The Guardians prosecuted you for no reason, you were CHOSEN to bring fear to the world, and they branded you a monster for doing your job…"

I didn't wait for permission to enter, I threw open the door and walked right in, looking around.

Pitch was still wrapped in the chains of sand, and the third Yeti guard gave me a confused look from where he stood post. I looked around, dumbfounded, at the lack of a third person in a room.

"Can I help you, little witch?" Pitch seemed incredibly amused by my confusion, judging by the condescending smirk on his face.

"Who were you talking to?" I demanded, crossing my arms and glaring at him, trying to push away my fear and replace it with anger.

"Let's pretend for a moment I have an idea what you're referring to; No one. As you can see, there is no one here." The Yeti gave a complaining groan from the corner.

"No one worth talking to."

"Don't lie, I heard someone else in here."

"I heard nothing. I said nothing. There was no one here. If there were, they wouldn't have been speaking to me, anyways. Haven't you heard? I'm the Boogeyman, a monster, my only purpose is to terrify and bring evil to the world." His voice was bitter, almost angry, and it repeated the sentiments from the earlier voice. _Just like with Tooth… But it's like neither of them really heard the voice. But if they can't hear it, then how are they repeating its words?_

I was still very confused, and even more worried, but I knew something now; whatever had Tooth so upset was influencing Pitch as well. It was invisible and no one could hear it, except apparently me. And whatever it was, it was malicious, and only starting its work.

* * *

**I'm so excited that I finally get to (start to) introduce the new antagonist! I really hope you like what I do with it. Please read and review and favorite and follow and do a barrel roll!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**In which I am lost**

* * *

"North! NORTH!" I flew through the halls, somehow managing to avoid hitting any walls of Yeti as I headed for the production room. Several Yeti were crowded around a large machine that was producing a thick black smoke. I could see North underneath the machine, tugging at an elf stuck inside it.

I flew up to him without hesitation.

"North, something's wrong-"

"Not now, I must fix machine or we get behind on schedule."

"This is important, someone was talking to-"

"I told you, not now. Go run and play with the Yeti, we will talk later."

"I'm serious, you need to hear this-"

"Whatever it is, it must wait! I am busy, shoo!"

I landed and stared at him for a moment, and then closed my eyes, listening carefully. I didn't hear the voice whispering to him, but he had never been so rude to me. _If he won't listen, I'll tell someone else. Whatever's going on, one of the Guardians needs to know about it._

I already knew Tooth was affected by whoever's voice that was, going to her wouldn't solve anything. If North was too busy then maybe Bunny would hear what I had to say.

I hurried to his warren, flying as fast as I dared to and taking a stumbling landing near the entrance of the tunnels.

"Bunny! Where are you, I need to talk to you!" There was no answer; the warren seemed to be empty except for the giant stone eggs.

"Bunny?" I flew up into the air and searched the warren thoroughly, but there was no sign of him. _The Sandman shouldn't be hard to find._

* * *

It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I followed the night across several time zones before I finally caught a glimpse of golden dream sand. I followed it back to Sandy, who was working from a cloud of it, sending dreams to the children.

"Sandy, something's wrong. I heard a voice that was talking to Tooth and she was really irritated and even though she acted like she didn't hear it she repeated what it said almost exactly. Then I heard the SAME voice talking to Pitch, and there was no one there, but he did the same thing she did! North won't listen and I can't find Bunny, you've got to help!"

The Sandman turned toward me, seeming to listen but not understanding. A question mark formed above his head. I took a deep breath and tried to slow down.

"I went to see Tooth and when I was there I heard a voice whispering. No one else seemed to hear it, but it was talking to Tooth and told her that the other Guardians were lazy because they got to take most of the year off but she works every night. When I tried to talk to her, she repeated the same thing to me. I went to the Pole and was outside the hallway where Pitch is being kept-"

Sandy cut me off in his own way, an image of Pitch, an exclamation point and a question mark all appearing above his head in quick succession. He surprise passed quickly and was replaced with a look of suspicion as I tried to continue.

"And I heard someone talking to him, but when I went inside there was no one there except the guard and Pitch, and he said that there had been no one else-"

More images appeared over Sandy's head, the dream sand forming and reforming too quickly for me to interpret. He seemed angry about something, and he shook a finger at me, as if scolding me for something. I caught sight of Pitch's image several times, and NightMares and a big thumbs down.

"Um… Oh! I know, I know, Pitch is dangerous, but something is going down and he's involved, somehow." The thumbs down appeared again, bigger than the last time.

"Sandy, please listen, this is important. I've got a really bad feeling about-" An image of Pitch, then a prohibited activity symbol.

"It's not like I talk to him often, I only visited twice-" A huge '2' and exclamation point appeared above his head, and he blew sand out of his ears angrily. He turned to leave, giving one last message with his back turned. It was easy to interpret- Do not talk to Pitch.

Things were looking bleak, and my stomach was in knots. I was nervous, even scared. Something was wrong and the Guardians weren't listening. _Wait! Jack Frost! They'll listen to him, and he's probably in Burgess right now._

* * *

It wasn't a long flight to Burgess, and I found Jack easily. He was playing outside in the snow with Jamie and his friends. I didn't even land this time; I needed to get him to listen.

"Jack, something's wrong and none of the other Guardians will listen. There was a voice that was talking to Tooth and Pitch and they couldn't hear it but they repeated what it said, and North and Sandy wouldn't listen and I can't even FIND Bunny-"

"Woah, woah, slow down," Jack laughed, amused at my panic.

"I can't understand you when you're talking that fast. Tell me what's going on at about half the speed.

I explained everything, knowing that this was probably my last chance to get someone to believe me. As I told him about the whispering voice, and how it affected not only Pitch but Tooth as well. I even told him how North and Sandy both turned me away. By the time I was done his smile had been replaced by a worried frown.

"You were right to warn us, that doesn't sound like Sandy or North at all. If they're being whispered to by whoever it influencing Tooth, then we might all be in trouble. You said you couldn't find Bunny?"

"He wasn't at his warren, I don't even know where else to look."

"Two pairs of eyes are better than one. You go south, I'll go north, and we'll meet back here in 2 hours if we find him or not and decide what to do."

"Right." I nodded in agreement, relieved that someone finally listened and felt as concerned about it as I did.

"Two hours," he repeated and then took off to the north to search. I flew to the south, searching for the Easter Bunny.

* * *

Two hours passed quickly and I was on my way back to Burgess, empty-handed. I landed next to the pond where Jack and I had parted ways, but he wasn't there yet. I sat down to wait for him, but after half an hour I was getting worried. Just as I was about to go look for him, the Aurora Borealis spread across the sky, summoning the Guardians to the Pole.

I grinned and took off. _Jack must have found Bunny and gone straight to the Pole to gather the others to tell them what was going on. I knew they'd listen to one of their own!_

I didn't technically need to go, seeing as I wasn't a Guardian, but I wanted to be there in case I heard the voice again. The Guardians were all in the globe room when I arrived, discussing what I had told Jack.

"And she talked to Pitch?" Tooth's voice was the first I heard, and I didn't like what I was hearing.

"More than once. She said she heard a voice talking to him, and to you, but she admitted there was no one there." Jack replied to her, and my heart dropped. They weren't talking about the voice. They were talking about me.

"Maybe she's lyin' to get some attention. Or she's just plain whacko," Bunny's words were far from encouraging.

"I'm telling the truth! I know I heard a voice, and it was influencing Tooth and Pitch!" They turned to face me, a mixture of disbelief, pity and suspicion on their faces.

"Maybe you believe you hear voice, but it may be Pitch trying to trick us…" North was trying to be the voice of reason, but he wasn't listening to the reason I was trying to present to him.

"Then how did I hear the voice at the Tooth Palace? And if it was his voice I heard, not only would I have recognized it, but the Yetis on guard would have heard it too. It was someone else, and I have good reason to believe that whatever they're doing has a malicious purpose."

None of them answered. They didn't have to; it was clear they didn't believe me. After a moment, Tooth spoke up.

"Maybe it would be for the best if you stayed away from the Pole for a while… Just until you've calmed down some."

I looked away from them, trying not to let them see the tears forming in my eyes. _How can they not believe me?_

"She's just lying to get your attention, she's jealous that no one believes in her…" I froze as I heard the voice and turned back again to watch their faces carefully. Now, instead of pity I saw blatant disapproval, irritation and disbelief. The voice had told them all I was a liar, and they believed it.

"No…" I whispered, then I took off, flying away as fast as I could. _They don't believe me. Someone is telling them what to think and I can't convince them that it even exists. _

_What do I do now?_

* * *

**_Oh no! Will Rona get them to see sense? Will she find a way to break the voice's influence on the Guardians? Will I ship her with Pitch?_**

**_Keep reading and reviewing to find out!_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**In which I read a letter**

* * *

After having been dead for half a year, I found myself back in a familiar situation. I was curled up on the bed of my best friend, crying.

"Ash, I don't know what to do. I have this terrible feeling that they're in danger, but none of them believe me. It's like this voice has a spell on them, but I have no clue how to break it. I can't just stand by and do nothing, but there's nothing I can do." Ashley was at her desk, diligently writing something. She couldn't hear a word I said.

"I wish you could hear me. You always helped me to cheer up, even if things were really bad. Even if you couldn't give a real solution, you made the problem seem not as bad. I would give anything to talk to you right now the way we used to."

I stood up from the bed and sat down next to her chair, looking up at her. She was crying too.

"Ash?" She closed her eyes and stopped writing, putting down her pen. She rested her head on her arms and started to sob.

I felt completely helpless. I couldn't save the Guardians from that voice; I couldn't even comfort my best friend. I couldn't do anything.

"Ashley, I'm so sorry…" I wanted so badly for her to hear me, but she couldn't. It was impossible.

I stayed there for hours, watching as she finally stopped crying and went to sleep. I sat at her desk, staring at the paper she had been writing on.

_Dear Rona,_

_My newest therapist suggested that I write a letter to you, that doing this might give me 'closure'. She doesn't get it. She doesn't know how much you were a part of my life, she wasn't there for all the sleepovers and dramas and movie nights. She doesn't feel the love I felt for you. You were like a sister to me, and losing you is like losing the best part of myself. Even when we were arguing over something I loved you, and nothing will ever stop me from loving you._

_Do you remember when we went rock climbing with your sister? It was in the middle of nowhere and there were bugs and the harness felt way too tight, but I still remember being at the top of the cliff with you, laughing. It hurts so much to think that I'll never hear that laugh again. That we'll never watch another crappy horror movie together or fangirl over Tom Hiddleston. I miss you so much._

_Some days it feels almost like you're still here, or I'll think I hear you talking to me when no one's there. Those days are my best days, because I know that things will never be the same without you here. You're my best friend, my sister, and I'll always love you._

I sat down next to Ashley on the bed and whispered in her ear.

"I'll always love you too."

Suddenly Ashley's eyes shot open and she looked around.

"Rona?!" I stared at her in shock.

"Ash? Can you hear me?" She looked right through me, not responding, but my heart was pounding in my chest.

Even if it was just for a moment, I'd broken through.

* * *

That one moment restored my hope, and my determination to break through to the Guardians and show them what was going on, even though I didn't entirely know what WAS going on yet.

I flew back to Hawaii, to the place I had first met Mother Nature. She could have been anywhere in the world, but at least this was a starting place.

"Mother Nature!" I tried calling out her name several times with no luck. She wasn't here. But I had no idea where else to look; the world is a big place to look for one woman.

I sat down on a bench to try and come up with a plan to find her, or to get her to find me. _If she's the very spirit of nature, then she'll notice if something is wrong, right? She would notice…_ And just like that I had a plan to get her attention.

I flew over far into the middle of the Pacific Ocean, making sure there was plenty of distance between myself and any inhabited land. And then I began to fly in circles, pulling the wind with me as strongly as I could.

I flew faster and faster, the wind around me forming a large tornado- no, a waterspout. That was what they called it when it had water in it, too. I flew up to the top of the tornado and held out my hands to it, 'pulling' it with my will to ensure it didn't leave my control. It was difficult; the water from it sprayed in my face often, blinding me, and the wind felt like it was going to break my control at any moment. I began to worry that I had made it too strong, the energy in the wind now was more than I could handle.

"What are you doing?" The voice was soft, coming from below me, but it managed to carry over the screeching winds of the tornado. Summoning up the most of my energy, I concentrated as hard as I could on forcing the wind to slow, and then stop. The water, no longer being forced into the tornado, fell back into the ocean.

Mother Nature was standing on the ocean water, watching me with concern in her eyes. I flew down to her quickly to explain.

"I'm sorry, but I needed to get your attention. Something is wrong with the Guardians."

She looked shocked, but I didn't give her time to interject before I continued.

"There's this voice that's speaking to them, and to Pitch too, and it's making them angry and they won't listen to me anymore because it told them I'm a liar. They can't actually hear it, but it's as if the voice has them under some kind of spell and I don't know what to do."

Mother Nature stood there, listening to the entire story carefully. When I finished she nodded and closed her eyes.

"You are right. It does sound like they are under a spell. But the thing about spells is that they can be broken. Perhaps you can hear the voice because it is casting a spell, and you are a witch. Or perhaps it is because they are casting their voice from afar using the winds, and you are the Witch of the Wind. Either way, you are the most capable person to break the spell."

"But I don't even know how to break spells; I didn't even think casting them was possible." She smiled at me.

"After all you have learned in the past months, would you ever think that something it truly impossible? Any spell can be broken."

"Can you teach me how?"

"Spells are a tricky skill. What I know of spells is that they are not what humans expect. They are not incantations written in books or long verses in Latin, nor are they complicated rituals that must be memorized. Spells are an instinctual use of magic, powered by emotion and nearly limitless in its capabilities. No two people will cast a spell in the same way, and thus no two spells can be broken in the same way. A spell can usually only be broken in two ways; either the caster is unable to continue the spell or it is countered by another with opposing magic."

"I don't follow. Can you rephrase that?"

"If the person who cast the spell is unable to continue providing the spell with magic for whatever reason, the spell will fade. Or a spell can be countered with a spell with opposite intent. A spell powered by hatred can be broken by a spell powered be love."

"So… If they're under a spell that is making them feel angry and jealous… Then a spell powered by happiness and contentment could break it!" I flew up to Mother Nature and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you so much. I won't forget this."

"I'm sure you won't, dear. You have some important work to do now. Go and save your friends."

* * *

_How do I cast a spell of happiness and contentment? She said it's powered by emotion, so I need to think about being happy and content, right? Or would that not work? No, I need to feel happy and content, and use that to power my magic. _

_Happy and content… I thought back to the letter from Ashley, the memory I had recovered from my teeth… Standing at the edge of a cliff with the two people closest to me. That was happiness and contentment._

"Now I just need to cast a spell on the Guardians… Who are already suspicious of me and under a spell from someone who knows I'm on to them. Crap."

* * *

**This chapter was rather emotional for me at first. I hope you guys feel it too. But hope is now restored, and Rona is off to save the Guardians! Please favorite and review the story so far if you like it, and don't be shy about following, either. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**In which I sneak around**

* * *

Holding on to the memory of Ashley and my sister, I flew to the Pole to break the spell on the Guardians. I was almost there when I noticed the Pole was under heavy guard. The Yetis surrounded the entrances to the Pole, blocking it. Confused, I landed in front of them, approaching them slowly.

"What's going on?" The Yetis replied in their grunting language. _I'm not allowed in anymore?!_

"But… I don't understand, why would they bar me? You know what, it doesn't matter, I have to get in; they're in danger!" I tried to get by them but they knocked me back into the snow easily.

"Please, they aren't themselves right now, someone is controlling them and I can save them!" The Yetis shook their heads, forming a wall between myself and the Pole. _Oh no… If I can't get in to see the Guardians, how can I break the spell? _

I flew back, getting out of sight of the Yetis, and carefully circled the Pole. Every single one of the entrances was under heavy guard, all the windows were locked and the glass far to thick to break. I couldn't get in.

_Now what am I going to do?_ _Wait until they come out? I have no idea what they're doing in there, or if they WILL come out while under the influence of that voice..._

Unwilling to give up, I tried to sneak by the Yetis by using the wind to blow the snow around, creating a cover. It almost worked, until I realized that I couldn't see anything either and walked right into the Yeti wall.

"Oops." I flew away before they could throw me into the snow again. _Maybe I need to rethink my plan…_

* * *

I was there well past sundown, trying again and again to gain access to the Pole. Every time I was blocked by the Yeti.

I was watching from directly above the Pole, hoping to see a break in the guard, or if I was lucky to see one of the Guardians leave. It had been almost 5 hours now, and I still hadn't gotten in. Even if I did get in, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get to the Guardians without being noticed and thrown out.

A bright light shone on me, catching my attention. I looked up to see the Man in the Moon watching me. The light moved, and I turned my attention to where it landed; a small crevice in the ice. I flew down to investigate and looked inside, then grinned as I saw that it led to a long tunnel.

"Thanks, Manny."

I took off down the tunnel as quickly as I could, swerving occasionally to avoid the supports. It led to a set of double doors, a storage area with a large sleigh and the stables where the reindeer were kept. And it was completely unguarded. I was into the Pole.

The production floor felt deserted. Instead of the normal noise and crowding, it was nearly empty. All of the Yeti must have been outside, guarding the entrances. They had completely stopped making toys.

The only ones there other than me were some elves. Luckily they were too busy wreaking their own kind of chaos to remember that I wasn't supposed to be there. Still, I did my best to be quiet and stay close to the wall. I didn't want to attract any attention to myself.

I could practically hear the Pink Panther theme playing as I crept through the halls towards the globe room. Then I actually could hear the Guardians.

It was a mess in there. They were all too busy arguing with one another to notice me poking my head into the room.

"You don't have any respect for me, mate! Ever year 'Christmas is better than Easter, Christmas is more important than Easter. But you know what? Easter is better than Christmas!"

"Hah! You make children look for your gifts, I leave them under tree; they like much better than colored eggs!"

"My fairies work every single day not only leaving gifts but collecting teeth, and you two wait around all year acting like your holidays are more important!"

It was just a huge shouting match, everyone angry at each other, hurling insults. It got worse with each passing moment and I was worried they would start physically beating one another (my money was on the rabbit if it came to that).

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, focusing. I remembered that day on the cliff, every moment of it and allowed myself to feel what I felt then. I opened my eyes and pushed.

The magic left me like a burst of wind, headed straight for North. Just as it was about to hit him, he moved out of the way to face Sandy, who was angrily communicating that not only did he work every night, but he worked alone, but none of them appreciated him.

The magic went straight past the Guardians without them noticed, crashing into a group of elves who were watching the fight. They all grinned and started hugging one another. _Damn it! _

Once again I focused myself on Ashley and my sister, and the love I felt for them. I remembered everything I could, allowing the memories to fill me. Once again, I sent the magic flying towards the Guardians, this time aiming for Bunny.

Had I actually been paying attention to their conversations, I would have been less surprised and disappointed when he jumped out of the path of my spell. He pulled out his boomerangs, and North drew his swords; for a moment I was terrified they had realized I was there. But instead they both gave a yell and charged at each other. As they fought, Tooth Jack, and Sandy circled them, egging them on and yelling at one another still.

_I'll never be able to hit one of them with the counterspell with them moving like this… I need one of them to stay still long enough to me to break the voice's influence. _

After watching for a moment, I knew I had to do what I had been trying so hard to avoid. I would had to break the spell on the one person who COULDN'T move; Pitch. _I really hope the spell is the reason he's so sarcastic and cruel…_

* * *

The Yetis that were supposed to guard Pitch's room were not there either. They must have been outside with all the rest. I should have been relieved that getting into the room would be no trouble, but instead all I felt was nervousness. I took a deep breath and summoned up the memory of happiness and contentment once more. With the Ashley's laugh ringing in my ears, I steeled myself and opened the door.

Pitch was still alone in the room, trapped in chains of dream sand. I closed the door behind me and turned to face him.

"Ah, you've come to visit again, little witch. Are you going to spout more nonsense or have you brought sugar cookies this time?"

"Shh, be quiet. I don't want to take the chance that they'll hear. Besides, I need to concentrate."

"Oh so you've betrayed the Guardians then? How delightful-"

"Shh! I haven't betrayed ANYONE, now shut up!"

"Or what, you'll bring oatmeal raisin cookies next time?" I gave him the angriest glare I could, but didn't reply. Then I took a deep breath and focused on remembering. It was harder this time; Pitch seemed to radiate low levels of fear, and he irritated the shit out of me.

I thought about the letter Ashley had written, spending time with her watching movies and gossiping. Getting ready for prom. The cliff.

"What are you doing?" I answered with a rush of magic. His eyes widened for a moment when it hit him, then he lost consciousness.

"Shit!" _I don't even know if it worked._

"She's here! Stop her!" The voice rang through the Pole, no longer just a whisper. _No, no, no, what can I do now? _

Pitch groaned, regaining consciousness quickly. _Thank god._

"What… What did you do to me?" I didn't answer, trying to figure out if he was free of the spell, and if I could even trust him if he was.

"The Guardians… Where are they? Where's North?" If I didn't know better, I would say that he most seemed concerned.

"They're being controlled by someone. The same person was controlling you too."

"Controlling me… Damn, that's why…" He seemed angry, but not at me. I could use that to my advantage.

"Whoever it is, they can't see or hear them but they do what it says. I can hear their voice, but I can't see them either." I heard shouting coming from down the hall and added quickly, "And it also told them that I'm here and that's probably them coming right now. We need to go."

Without allowing myself a moment to hesitate I walked to him and yanked off the chains. He stood, and for the first time I realized just how tall he was. It didn't help me feel less intimidated by him, but there was no going back now.

"The only way out is down that hallway, and they're already coming. I can probably cast another counterspell on them when they come in, but I don't think it will affect more than one of them and it still might be enough. Pitch laughed.

"There's no way you can take on the Guardians, even with your spells little witch. However, that is not the only thing you were wrong about."

Moving faster than I had expected him to, he grabbed me about the waist and pulled me against him. A shadow appeared at his feet, spreading rapidly around us. I saw the Guardians enter the room, weapons drawn, just before everything went pitch black as the Boogeyman dragged me into the shadows.

* * *

**Two**** quick facts about me, in the style of comedian Bo Burnham: I hate cliffhanger endings and I'm a hypocrite. Favorite, follow and review if you ever want to see Rona alive again, mwahahaha!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

**In which I bargain with the Boogeyman**

* * *

I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even feel the wind or the ground. All I could feel was intense, insufferable fear. I know that traveling through the shadows only took a moment, but it felt like hours to me; hours of nothing but darkness and terror.

When we arrived at wherever it was Pitch had taken me I struggled desperately to get away from him. I was trembling from the experience of his shadow travel, and he laughed, releasing me. I promptly fell onto the floor; my legs wouldn't hold me properly.

"Is something wrong, little witch? You should have known what was going to happen." Pitch disappeared into the shadows.

I closed my eyes and tried to fight off the irrational fear that still clung to me. After a minute I was able to calm down and take a few deep breaths. Eventually I stood up and looked around.

I was in some kind of cave. Someone had obviously worked on it once; crumbling walkways and steps were carved into the walls, doorways led into unnaturally dark tunnels and stone walkways even crossed the large cavern overhead, linking several paths. At the center of it all was a dark metal globe, not unlike the globe at the Pole except in one respect; the lights were going out.

"Oh, no…" I knew lights went out naturally, but they never went out so quickly, and with no new lights to replace them.

"Children aren't believing anymore." Pitch's voice sounded from behind me, but as I turned to face him a shadow drifted off to my left.

"The Guardians are neglecting their duties. Children are sleeping without dreams, waking to find their teeth still underneath their pillows… It's sad, really."

"Wasn't this what you wanted when you declared war on the Guardians? To make all the children stop believing?"

He finally reappeared next to me and looked me directly in the eyes as he replied.

"No. You know the truth; I was being influenced by someone else. I did not want the children to stop believing, I wanted them to believe in me. At the time breaking their wills with fear and nightmares seemed like the best course of action. Whoever is controlling the Guardians now is quite insidious; silently poisoning the mind and warping the desires of their victims. I would admire their work if they had not made such a mistake…"

"What mistake?" Pure fury filled Pitch's eyes and I took a step back.

"I will not be controlled with impunity. Because of them I was marked once again as an enemy, defeated, attacked by my own NightMares and imprisoned by the Guardians. I could have easily made people believe in me without attracting the attention of the Guardians, I could have had all the fear I needed. They will pay dearly for using me as their puppet."

"Well, that's great to hear. But we don't even know who it is."

"We?" The Boogeyman threw his head back and laughed.

"Who said anything about 'we', little witch?"

"You want to find the person who was controlling you, I want to find them to stop them. Seems like we want about the same thing, and it'll be much easier working together than working alone."

"As if I would need your help," he scoffed.

"Actually, you do. I'm the only one who can hear the voice, and the only one who can break the spell it puts on people. And you owe me; if I hadn't broken the spell it would STILL be controlling you. AND if I hadn't freed you from Sandy's chains you'd still be at the mercy of the Guardians, who are currently puppets of whoever was controlling you. You owe me. Help me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"If you help me, and we find the person behind this and stop them from what they're doing, I'll vouch for you with the Guardians so they won't lock you up again."

"As if they'd listen to you-"

"They might! It's better than nothing. Despite how sarcastic and rude you are, I know you don't want to be trapped in that room again. You may have done something terrible, but you weren't yourself. When the spell on them is broken they'll know what it's like, that you were being pushed into it. They might show you leniency."

"And if they don't? Why should I even trust you to keep your word?"

"Because I'm trusting you. I risked my life sneaking back into the Pole and freeing you. For all I knew the voice didn't really have any influence on you, and you were going to attack the children the instant you were free. But you didn't, and you saved me."

"Then we're even."

"Not quite. I saved you from the spell AND from the chains. You still owe me. Pay off that debt and I'll do my best to make sure you stay free when this is over."

"And if they lock me up anyways? After all, to them I am a monster. Even you are afraid of me, I can feel it. I am meant to bring fear to the world, and they will not willingly allow me to do that."

"If they put you back in that room I'll… I'll free you again." He raised his eyebrows at that.

"You would betray the Guardians."

"No. I don't think you're as much of a danger as they think you are, and if they can't see that… I'm sure I can make them understand."

"Hmph." He examined me closely, and I did my best to not look away. I looked him straight in the eyes.

"What do you have to lose?"

"What remains of my dignity, I suppose. My freedom. Quite possibly my life."

"Not if we work together to beat them." He was silent for a moment.

"Very well, little witch. But I want your word that you will ensure my freedom."

"I promise."

He smiled darkly, and a small bit of dread crept through me. Would I really be able to free him against the Guardian's wishes if it came to that?

"It is done. Come along, little witch. The search begins now." He held out his hand to me, but I shook my head.

"Uh-uh, there's no way I'm going to travel through the shadows again." He grinned at me.

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes, but there's nothing wrong with that. I'll fly, thanks."

"Very well. We shall start-"

"At the Pole. I know their influence is there, and we can follow the voice back to its speaker."

"You are scared of traveling through my shadows, which is perfectly safe, but you want to return to the Pole which is currently guarded by Yeti and inhabited by angry, irrational Guardians? I admit; you surprise me."

"Um. Good. Let's go."

* * *

Our differing methods of transportation caused some confusion as I couldn't find Pitch at first when I arrived. I landed and began to walk around, looking for him. I just barely saw a flash of shadow at the corner of my eye before a thin, gray hand snaked around my throat, another arm wrapping around my waist as Pitch pulled me back against him.

"Ah!"

He laughed at my fear as I struggled against him.

"You are so easy to frighten. We are headed into the lion's den; you must keep up your guard."

"Jeez, we're supposed to be working together on this, you don't have to keep scaring me!" He finally released his grip on me and I pushed him away. He chuckled and I gave him the dirtiest glare I could muster up.

"Not funny."

"I beg to differ."

"Shut up." I scowled at him and turned away, looking around. We were very close to the Pole but hidden from the Yeti's sight.

"Are we going to go, or are you going to stand there until you freeze to death?" Yup, Pitch was still sarcastic.

"One; I said to shut up. Two; we aren't going inside, we're listening for the voice. Three; I'm not going to freeze. You can if you'd like."

"So generous of you to keep me warm as well." He stepped closer to me, into the warm air.

"Shut up." Thankfully he was actually silent this time and I did my best to ignore his proximity.

* * *

It was a longer wait than I had been expected before I finally heard it. The voice was faint, but if I stilled the wind I could hear it. I turned around, trying to locate the source of the voice. I wanted to be certain I was going in the right direction.

"Time to go." I leapt into the air, leaving Pitch to get to his feet. He had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, occasionally complaining of boredom. Now he faded into shadow, following me as I flew to the south, and then to the east.

The shadows followed me where I went, Pitch was keeping up easily and I sped up. I had to reach the source of the voice before they stopped talking.

It led us to Scotland, to an old castle that overlooked the sea. It was surprisingly beautiful to house such a malicious being. But now I could more than just hear the voice; I could hear it clearly enough to identify that the speaker was a woman. I could hear her directly. Her laughter rang through an opening in the wall where the stone had crumbled. The sound of it made my hair stand on end.

I flew through the hole and landed, looking around. Half a second later, Pitch was standing beside me.

We were the only ones there.

"I don't understand… I heard her. Not just on the wind, I actually heard her."

"Her?"

"It's definitely a woman."

"Then where is she?" He seemed angry now.

"I don't know. Her voice was coming from this room…"

"So she just disappeared?" Pitch seemed incredulous.

"Apparently." I shook my head. There was no other entrance to the room; the doorways were blocked by fallen stone and rubble. The other walls, while still in a state of disrepair, were solid. But she wasn't there.

"What now, little witch? Any other brilliant ideas?"

* * *

**That's right; the new antagonist is a woman. Bet you can't guess who she is, though! Thanks for reading, please review favorite and follow!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

**In which I take an unplanned nap**

* * *

"What now, little witch? Any other brilliant ideas?" Pitch's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Or shall we continue on this wild goose chase for a voice only you can hear from a woman who can disappear."

"Will you please stop?! I am trying to figure out what to do next and you are not helping. Why don't you make yourself useful; look around and see if you can find anything."

"Of course, great Witch of the Wind; I shall never doubt your wisdom and judgment again." He bowed deeply and walked off into the shadows, disappearing. I didn't think it was possible even for him to put so much sarcasm into one sentence.

"Fine, walk away! I'll just find her on my own!" Angry and a bit sad at having no one believe me again, I began to scour the room for any evidence that someone had been there; but there was none. The room looked as if no one had been there for years before I arrived.

"I don't understand…"

"I don't think you ever will," the voice laughed at me, the sound coming from directly behind me. I whirled around to face- nothing.

"Poor little Rona…" The voice was coming from my left now.

"No one believes her…" Now she was definitely to my right.

"Maybe she's insane." The last part was whispered right into my ear; and I swung my arm out. I felt my hand brush cloth, but I missed whoever was speaking. They were too quick.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Why would I do that?" _How do I fight someone who's invisible?_ _She keeps moving around too much… I need to stop her from moving. _

I closed my eyes and listened very carefully, focusing my powers and waiting for her to speak again.

"Trying to find me? Ow!" The instant I heard her begin to talk, I solidified the air near the source, creating equally invisible walls on either side of her.

"Looks like I did find you. Now show yourself."

"Or what?" _I was hoping she'd say that._ Slowly, I began to drain the air from the area she was trapped in, creating a sort of vacuum. At first she didn't respond, but after thirty seconds I heard her gasping for air. At forty five seconds she began hitting the invisible walls that kept her trapped there.

I had counted to 75 before she finally shimmered into view, her hands at her throat, her face tinged with blue as she struggled to breathe. Her hair was choppy and dark, with green highlights at the edges that hung around her face. Her skin was pale and she was wearing what could only be described as goth or emo clothing; all black with purposefully made rips and more zippers than were necessary.

What caught my attention more than her lip and eyebrow piercing were her eyes. They were a vivid green and glaring at me with hatred as she finally caught her breath.

"You bitch, you almost killed me!"

"But I didn't. And you cast a spell on my friends that could mean the end of them. The way I see it, we're pretty much even. Now break the spell."

"Hell no. I've waited too long for the Guardians to let their guard down. I'm going to have my fun and you can't force me to stop."

"Are you sure about that?"

"If you had the guts to kill me then you would have already. But I have to admit, you breaking my spell on Pitch was impressive. I've been weaving that one for years now… You're pretty powerful for someone no one has heard of. Maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"If more people believed in you, you may get even more powerful. If you were to take the place of one of the Guardians, everyone would believe in you. You wouldn't be ignored anymore. They aren't even doing their duties anymore; they were too weak to fight my spell when YOU saw right through it. How come they deserve to be believed in and we don't?

The more she spoke, the more I felt it was true. I felt my concentration wavering as I thought of the Guardians, and how they had treated me because of… _WAIT. They're only acting that way because of her! They were nice to me before they changed her, and they were good at what they did. She's making me feel this way, making me jealous. _

"So, that's who you are…"

"Huh?" She seemed very confused, not only at my words but at the fact that I had managed to out-think her attempt at putting her spell on me. I grinned at her victoriously.

"My mom always told me to be careful of the green-eyed monster. Of course, I never believed her…"

"I AM NOT A MONSTER!" I jumped back, startled, as she screamed and threw herself at the walls. I hadn't expected that reaction, and my concentration had been broken. She broke free and launched herself at me. She knocked me to the ground, screaming still, and her hands closed around my throat.

"For years every mom says 'Be afraid of the green-eyed monster' but no one ever does! They never believe! They never ask why! They never ask my name! NEVER! I was dismissed as a cautionary tale!"

Her grip on my throat tightened and I thrashed desperately underneath her, clawing at her hands. The wind screamed around us in a whirlwind, but she just held on to me and screamed over it.

"Every time I tried to do something, to make them remember me, the Guardians stopped me! 'You can't do that to the children' they said. But even THEY couldn't remember my damn NAME! Now they'll know what it's like to have no one think they're real, to not know their names! They'll fade away just like they left me to fade away! And it'll be MY turn to be on top!"

My vision was getting spotty. The wind began to slow as I lost control of it. She leaned down, her face close to mine as she whispered to me.

"My name is Envy. Are you are damn sure going to remember it, because it's the last name you'll ever hear, you interfering little bitch." I closed my eyes, feeling my limbs going numb, my heart beating wildly and my lungs straining. _No…_

* * *

When I woke up, the room was full of shadows and NightMares. They circled around the room making terrible noises and watching. A tall man with gray skin and wearing a long black cloak held Envy up by her throat. Her eyes were wide and full of fear as Pitch spoke to her in a low voice.

"You made two major mistakes as far as I am concerned. One; using me to bait the Guardians, then making sure they defeated and captured me to lull them into a false sense of safety. Clever, yes, but…" He slammed her back against the wall, her head hitting it with a sharp crack.

"I am no one's pawn. The second mistake was laying a hand on the little witch. You see, only _I_ am allowed to make her feel fear like that." I sat up and tried to call out to Pitch, but winced and put a hand to my throat. It hurt like hell and I still couldn't speak. The room seemed to spin around me as I tried to stand.

"Enjoy your nightmares." His terrible creatures of darkened dream sand leapt forward as he dropped Envy to her knees. They swarmed her, and I could hear her screams of terror over the sound of their hooves and neighing.

Pitch turned to me now, approaching me as I swayed from side to side, still trying to speak.

"Why…" It came out like a croak, and I couldn't finish my sentence. _Why did you come back?_

He caught me before I could fall to the floor, too dizzy to stand.

"Now we are even."

I didn't even notice when the screaming stopped. I was sitting next to Pitch on the floor of the castle, my head resting on his shoulder as I recovered. My eyes shot open when I heard the NightMares begin to calm.

"Envy!" Big mistake; it still hurt way too much to talk. Pitch seemed to understand what I was saying and called his NightMares away from where she should have been. But there was nothing. _She must have turned invisible and snuck away from them…_

"Damn!" Pitch grabbed one of his NightMares by the mane and shouted at it.

"How could you let her escape?! Get out, go now, find her!"

The NightMares left the room in a gallop, tracking the invisible incarnation of jealousy. Pitch held out his hand and helped me to my feet.

"You need to recover; I can't track her down alone and she has yet to pay for her actions."

I couldn't even argue; I knew I needed to rest. She had intended to kill me and she nearly had. I think Pitch even thought I was dead when he had come back. I still didn't know why he had, but I was too grateful to question it while bruises still covered my throat.

Pitch pulled me close to him and I closed my eyes as we sank into the shadows. I wasn't sure where he was bringing me, but I trusted him to bring me somewhere safe. The Boogeyman had saved my life, and I wasn't scared of him anymore.

* * *

**So, did anyone see that coming? It was quite a build-up, I think. And if you look in earlier chapters there are a few hints about jealousy, so it wasn't entirely out of nowhere. What do you guys think of Envy? Tell me when you favorite, follow and review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

**In which I wake up**

* * *

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed. I remained motionless for a few minutes, looking around. The walls were stone, as if the room had been carved out. The only light entering the room was from a distant crack in the wall, far above my head. _How did I get here?_

I sat up slowly, a hand going to my throat. A gentle touch informed me that it was bruised, but not too badly. I could breathe without any pain, at least. I hummed a bit softly, testing if I'd be able to speak. It caused a dull ache, but I was still able to do it.

"Hello?" I winced, deciding I wasn't ready to talk too much yet. I got out of the bed a bit sadly; it was surprisingly warm and soft. The stone floor seemed almost painfully cold in contrast; my shoes and coat had been removed and placed at the foot of the bed. Shivering, I quickly pulled them back on.

The door to the room was solid wood and very heavy. It took me a minute to finally push it open, and it fell closed again behind me with a loud noise that made me flinch. It also caught the attention of Pitch, who had been standing near the globe, watching the last few lights that were still flickering.

He was by my side in an instant.

"I was wondering when you would wake up."

"How…" I winced and spoke softly.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Half a day. There has been no sign of Envy, but her influence on the Guardians has not waned…" He gestured sadly to the globe.

"Barely any children are still holding on now. It won't be much longer now."

"We have to stop her."

"Is there any way to find her again? She is invisible, and she will know not to stay in one place long enough to track her. Even if we were to find her again, she wants you dead."

"She wants the Guardians gone, too. If it's me or them, it's obvious who is more important."

"Yes, it is. The one who saw the truth, who believed in her friends even when they didn't believe her, who took a risk for them and trusted when she had no reason to!" He became more passionate as he spoke, grabbing me by the shoulders as he spoke the last words. I blinked in surprise as my mind registered his words.

"Not me- the children believe in the Guardians. I can't let Envy destroy them."

"And I can't let her destroy you."

I stared at him for a moment.

"Are you insane?"

"Excuse me?"

"You've been sarcastic and rude to me for about the entire time I've known you. You mocked me when I tried to do something nice for you-"

"I was under the influence of Envy, you know that."

"And you've only really known me for a few days. And now all of the sudden you're trying to be protective? What's wrong with you?" I knocked his hands away and stepped back, turning on my heel to leave. Before I could get the wind to carry me away, he grabbed my hand.

"Don't walk away from me, little witch. You freed me from Envy, from the Sandman's chains. You trusted me and talked me into helping you. Even when I gave you reason to do otherwise, you continued to trust me. Your loyalty to the Guardians is admirable, but I will not lose the only person who has shown me any sort of humanity to that madwoman.

He was right. Even though North had once said that there must have been good in him, he still kept Pitch locked up. None of them gave him a chance to be anything but evil to them. He must have been so lonely. I had spent two months in the company of my best friend and I thought it was hell because she couldn't see me. I couldn't even begin to imagine what Pitch had been through.

As if sensing my hesitation he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. He was warm and I closed my eyes, letting my head fall back just enough to rest against his chest. I could feel his breath in my hair as he continued.

"Rona, you are the closest thing to a friend I have had in a very long time, the only one who has accepted me, as sarcastic and rude as I am- as you have pointed out. You brought me cookies." He laughed. Unlike usually, the sound was from disbelief and joy, not the dark and mocking laughter I was used to. It rang through the caves, the echoes getting softer as we listened to them together.

"I don't know what that spell you cast was, little witch. But when you cast it, I felt emotions I hadn't known for centuries. You made me remember that fear does not equate to darkness and evil. I had associated myself with it for so long that even the laughs I had before felt foreign to me. I feel as though you've brought me back from the dead."

He shifted, his arms turning me to face him but still holding me against him. His face was so close, his eyes looking directly into mine.

"So please… Please don't send me back to the dead. Don't go after Envy. I can survive if the Guardians fall and children stop believing altogether. But I do not think I can survive if she were to finish what she started yesterday…" His hand gently skimmed the bruises on my neck and I winced. His hand moved higher to cup my cheek, keeping my gaze from wandering away from his.

"I understand you may not feel as I do, and that you will disagree with me, but the Guardians lives are not worth risking yours. You are too important."

"I'm no one."

"Not to me."

His gaze was intense and his words were powerful. I could feel myself trembling from nervousness and a bit of fear. I didn't like being alone and I had barely known what loneliness was. Pitch had proven himself to be loyal, even kind. He hadn't left me, even when he thought I had led him on a wild goose chase. If I chose him, I would never be alone again.

But I would have to let Envy destroy the Guardians.

My eyes filled with tears as I thought about my friends, the ones who had helped me so much in the past few months. Even if I were able to save them, they would never approve of this kind of intimacy with Pitch. They might even think that I was too biased to say that he shouldn't be locked up. And they would know to guard him against me.

_I have to choose between Pitch and the Guardians._

Pitch saw my tears and sighed.

"Forgive me… I never meant to make you cry…" He pulled me against him and I pressed my face into his chest, holding on to him. I couldn't save the Guardians and stay with him, but staying with him and allowing my friends to be destroyed was a non-option. And Pitch would never let me go up against Envy, let alone help me to do it, no matter how much he claimed to care for me.

This was all happening way too fast. A few months ago I was worried about keeping my job and paying the rent on time. Now I was responsible for the belief of every child in the world, at the cost of hurting someone who had obviously been hurt before. I couldn't abandon the Guardians, but I couldn't abandon Pitch, either.

After a few minutes I pulled away from him, wiping the tears off my face.

"I some time alone to think."

* * *

I didn't tell him where I was going; I didn't doubt that he would have followed me anyways. I flew straight back to my hometown, to Ashley's house. She wasn't there when I arrived and my next stop was my sister's apartment.

My sister was home, and I sat with her for a few hours. She was typing something on her computer, most likely something for work. She looked well, as if she had finally gotten a full night's sleep. Ashley never showed up there, and I checked the cemetery next.

It was completely empty of all people, and Pitch finally decided to make himself known (as if I didn't already know he was there).

"Who are you looking for?"

"Ashley. She's, well, she was my best friend."

"You know that she cannot see you, right?"

"I know. But I always used to go to her with my problems, and even after what happened being ear her helps when I'm upset."

"I see…"

"Maybe she's home now."

I took off and returned to Ashley's house again. The door was open, even though the house itself was still empty. I closed the door behind me and sat down on her bed; she had to come home eventually. As soon as I did so, I heard a familiar, female laugh.

_Envy._

* * *

**I just know you were all sitting around your computers today wondering 'Where's the chapter? Why did she only post once yesterday? What's going to happen between Rona and Pitch?' Well, here it is, ya vultures! I happen to work on the weekends and can't do much writing. We'll go back to normal updates on weekdays, weekends will only have one chapter. Enjoy the PitchxOC ship, and don't forget to favorite, follow and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

**In which everything falls apart**

* * *

"You're such a loyal friend, aren't you?" Envy's voice mocked me from within the otherwise empty room. Chapter Fourteen

A shadow swept through the room and Pitch joined me.

"You lay one hand on her and-"

"Oh, I don't have to." Envy finally shimmered into view, holding Ashley in front of her. _NO! _

My best friend looked terrified, disheveled and unable to move because of Envy. But she couldn't see or hear any of us.

"Let her go, she has nothing to do with this!"

"Wrong. You had nothing to do with the Guardians, but you got involved anyways. So Ashley here is getting involved too."

Ashley began to cry, the tears streaking down her face. I took a step forward and Envy reacted instantly.

"Uh-uh. I wouldn't do that." That's when I noticed something flat and shiny in her hand. Something with a sharp tip.

"Recognize it?" Envy held it to Ashley's throat.

"Of course you do. You gave it to her, didn't you? Such a pretty little letter opener, and you even had it engraved. Cute."

"Please, Envy. Let her go."

"Hmm… No. You have interfered too much already, and I'm not going to risk you doing anything stupid."

Pitch put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me away from Envy before I could attack her.

"Just let the girl go, Envy. She has done nothing to harm you, and she can't do anything to stop you."

"But Rona might be able to. This is just insurance that she won't try. Don't worry; she'll go free and completely unharmed. All you have to do is go back to that little cave with Pitch and do nothing. I'll return Ashley as soon as the last light goes out. Deal?"

"No deal! You let her go right now!" I focused as hard as I could, solidifying the air into walls around her. She grinned darkly at me in response, pressing the letter opener against Ashley's throat. My best friend gave a frightened squeak, and I could see her trembling.

"If you keep me in here, you keep her here with me. And I KNOW you wouldn't even consider that little stunt you pulled the last time we bumped into each other. Anything you do to me you'll do to her too. Now, drop the walls."

I glared at her, my hands clenched into fists. I felt so helpless and I hated it. I couldn't save the Guardians, now I couldn't even protect Ashley. Pitch spoke up before I could decide to concede or tell Envy to fuck herself and see if I could punch her in her stupid face before she could cut Ashley.

"I want your word that Ashley will not be harmed, and that she will be returned to her home safely." I turned to him, feeling a bit betrayed, but Envy replied to him before I could say anything.

"The instant the last light goes out."

There was a moment of silence, then I dropped the walls. Envy laughed in victory and disappeared, taking Ashley with her.

Pitch put him arms around me, and a shadow began to open beneath us, but I pushed him away violently.

"You had no right to agree to that!"

"It was the only way. Envy would have killed your friend if you had tried to stop her."

"You don't know that, she might have been bluffing."

"For your sake, I could not take that chance."

"But now I can't do anything! I can't stop Envy, or save the Guardians and the children…"

"You couldn't do anything anyways. But now you can save Ashley. Please, come with me. We'll be safe in my caves, and Ashley will be fine."

"And the Guardians will fall. Children won't believe anymore."

"But we will be together." _Is that what's really important, though? _

"It doesn't work like that, Pitch. I couldn't live with myself if I just gave up."

"Please, little witch. I cannot let you risk your life. I cannot let you go through losing your best friend because I didn't stop you."

"I have to go." I turned away from him and launched myself into the sky. Pitch followed me on his NightMares. I heard him whisper.

"I hope you will forgive me for this."

His NightMares swarmed me in an instant, the sand filling my vision. I felt Pitch catch me as I fell into my own nightmares, screaming.

* * *

_All around me was darkness and blood. I was alone. So alone. I screamed and screamed but no one answered. I ran but I never seemed to get anywhere. I was running from something. Something I couldn't see. I could hear it, though. It laughed at me and I ran even faster._

_I knew that I could fly, but every time I tried to I fell to the ground, and it laughed at me even harder. I needed to get somewhere, but I couldn't remember. I was so scared, and helpless. _

_In a moment, everything changed. I was at the Pole. The Guardians watched me, and I was in chains of dream sand. _

"_You betrayed us all!" North was yelling at me. I was hurt, confused and scared. _

"_You chose Pitch over us, you left us to be destroyed!" I had never seen Jack so angry before, not even while under Envy's influence._

"_No, I didn't-"_

"_You're a traitor!" Even Tooth chimed in, and I began to cry._

"_I tried to save you, but-"_

"_What a pathetic, little witch." Pitch stepped into my view now, his mouth turned into a sneer. _

"_You're nothing but a liar and a traitor, and you know it. Did you honestly think I cared for you?"_

_Envy showed up next to him and put her arms around him. She grinned at me victoriously._

"He was working with me the whole time."

"_No… No, you were controlling him."_

"_I wasn't doing anything. You, however, did exactly what you weren't supposed to do. Oh well, I warned you…" She gestured over to the globe, and I caught first sight of the bloodied body that laid at its base._

"_ASHLEY!"_

* * *

Pitch watched Rona thrashing about in his bed, crying out in fear and pain. But he couldn't release her from her nightmares. If he did she would go after Envy. She would lose her best friend, and quite possibly her life. He needed to protect her at all costs. Even if she wouldn't forgive him for it.

"I am sorry, Rona. But this is for the best."

* * *

**Yeah, this chapter is a lot shorter than the others. Don't complain, I felt that there was nothing to add to this chapter that would contribute to the story and I didn't want to continue on to the events you will see in the next chapter just yet. But feel free to favorite, follow and review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

**In which darkness falls**

* * *

Pitch waited in the globe room as light after light flickered out. Perhaps a half dozen or so remained now, and he was anxious for them to extinguish. Every second that remained where these children believed was a moment that Rona was at the mercy of her nightmares.

Another light went out.

The first time he had seen her he had been so full of hatred and jealousy. He had tried to do exactly what Envy was doing right now.

Another light went out.

He hadn't been himself, though. Envy was the one who pulled the strings, malicious puppeteer that she is.

Another light went out.

They had, no doubt, warned her that he was evil. Told her the stories of how he had threatened the children and been defeated by the Guardians. How Jack Frost became a Guardian.

Another light went out.

But she had come to him anyways. She brought him cookies. The memory still brought a smile to his face. He had been rude to her about it, but the act of her bringing him cookies had made him think. It made him feel something other than hatred and jealousy.

Another light went out.

And then she had come to him again. The spell she had cast on him filled him with alien emotions; happiness, contentment. And love. He hadn't known love since he became Pitch Black. And as he stood beside her, worked with her, the love that had found its way back into his cold heart had grown. He needed her now. Only she made him feel that way and he couldn't go back to what he had been before. He couldn't go back to a world of darkness and hatred.

Another light went out.

By her side he knew that fear did not have to be cruel. Humans sought out fear in horror movies and roller coasters. Fear taught children to avoid danger, and this taught them caution as they grew. Humans needed fear. That was why he was here. But even after centuries, he had only seen that truth with her. Would he be able to hold on to that truth if she left?

One light remained.

He leaned in, examining it carefully. While the other lights had flickered for hours, wavering as children's beliefs faded, this light glowed sure and strong. It rested in the continent of North America, in the United States. Specifically, it was in Burgess.

Pitch was faced with a choice now. He had attacked young Jamie Bennett once before. He no longer could see Pitch, and he certainly didn't fear him. But he could destroy his belief in the Guardians so that he could release Rona from her nightmares.

Envy would eventually go after Jamie herself if he continued to believe. Pitch could meet her there. She would not bring Ashley with her; it would slow her down too much. He could confront her there and perhaps make her see sense. Or, failing that, he could trap her in her nightmares eternally. There would be no escape for her.

He turned away from the globe and walked to his bedroom. The door opened effortlessly in front of him and fell shut with a loud bang behind him that betrayed its weight. But the young woman who slept in his bed did not stir.

He stood over her for a moment, watching her. Her skin was paler than usual, her blue eyes closed tightly. Her long blond hair was slightly tangled from thrashing around earlier. She had calmed some now, but tears leaked from the corners of her eyes still and she let out the occasional whimper. He could sense her fear, just as intense as when she had first lost consciousness.

His chest ached as he watched her and felt her fear. He knew he was the reason for her suffering, but it was to prevent her from losing her best friend, and her own life. She could not make the choice between him, her friend and the Guardians. So he would make that choice for her.

He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, whispering a goodbye. Two NightMares remained there to guard her should Envy attack her while she was unconscious.

"I will not fail you, Rona."

Burgess was quiet when the Boogeyman arrived. One month ago, had someone suggested he would guard the young child who had caused his ruin he would have laughed in their face, before sending them into their worst nightmares of course. And yet here he was, waiting for the arrival of the green-eyed monster.

He was at a disadvantage and he knew it. While he could hide in the shadows, Envy could become completely invisible. She could cast her voice to influence others without being heard by any.

What he didn't know was that he didn't have a chance in hell.

Envy knew that Rona would never stand by and do nothing while the Guardians were in danger. She was surprised, however, to see that Pitch was there and not Rona. But that would make things easier.

"She cares more about Ashley than she does about you."

Pitch didn't hear her, but he responded to her words. He frowned and shifted where he waited in the shadows.

"She cares more about the Guardians than she does about you. She would rather die trying to save them than be with you."

Pitch rubbed his hand over his face and then shook his head, as if trying to shake away negative thoughts. Envy chuckled at the irony.

"She pushed you away even when you tried to help her."

He was at the breaking point; she could sense it. All she needed was one more blow, and she knew exactly what would crush him.

"She will never love a monster like you."

"No…" He whispered to himself. What was he doing here? There was no point in fighting for a witch who would leave him when the battle was over. She wasn't his and never would be. He collapsed to the floor as the love he felt turned to pain and loneliness that tore through him like knives.

I woke up screaming. The nightmares had been terrible and I looked around desperately, searching the shadows for Pitch. _Pitch!_ My fear was quickly replaced by anger as I realized what he had done. _He had no right to incapacitate me!_

I threw off the covers and leapt out of the bed, prepared to give him the shouting match of his life. But he was nowhere to be found. The caves were empty except for me and a couple of NightMares.

"Where is he?" I demanded them. They whinnied but didn't answer me; they weren't under any orders to answer questions.

I forced the doors to the bedroom open with a blast of wind as I pulled on my coat and shoes, and then stormed into the globe room. I stopped dead in my tracks and stared in horror as I saw the lights on the globe. Rather, when my mind registered the lack of lights on the globe. It was almost completely dark.

Only one light remained, and I knew exactly who it was. Jamie Bennett had saved the Guardians before, and now he was the only one who might be able to help me save them from Envy.

I had never flown as fast as I did when traveling to Burgess that night. It was the middle of the night, and I felt the gaze of the Man in the Moon following me as I landed in the backyard of the Bennett's home. All was dark inside, and perfectly quiet. I couldn't hear Envy's voice.

I flew into an open window, into Sophie's room. She was sound asleep, and I passed right through from her room to her brothers.

I had been expecting Pitch to be there, and was confused when he wasn't. _Maybe he's at the Pole helping the Guardians…_ _I need to stay here and protect Jamie. _

The young boy was deeply asleep, and I kept watch over him for an hour, thinking of what I could do to stop Envy.

_Wait a second. If Envy can cast spells to control people, then there's no reason I shouldn't be able to cast spells to protect them._

I stood next to Jamie's bed and thought about Ashley, and how I had felt when Envy held the letter opener to her throat. How scared I felt for her, and protective. How I wanted to keep her safe.

The magic surrounded Jamie and I saw a faint shimmer, as if he was in a bubble, before it disappeared. _I really hope that worked._

For a few minutes nothing happened. But then I heard Envy. She wasn't whispering, she was screaming, and she was getting louder every second.

I realized half a second too late that the noise was getting louder because she was running at me. She knocked me back into the wall snapped back and struck it hard enough to make me see stars. Envy knocked my legs out from under me before I could recover and began to repeatedly kick me while screaming.

"I told you not to interfere again! I warned you, and I even tried to be nice about it."

All of the sudden, she stopped and began to laugh. I tried to stand up, but my head was spinning, my chest and abdomen ached from where she had kicked me, and I think my left arm was broken.

"But, since I'm such a good person, I'll let it pass. However, there's someone else who you owe an apology to…"

I looked up to see Pitch walk out of the shadows, his face as full of anger and hatred as it had been the first time I saw him. He looked just like he had in my nightmares.

"I should have known never to trust a witch."

* * *

***Refer to comment at the end of chapter ten about cliffhanger endings. Hope you're as excited as I am for the next chapter. Please favorite, follow and review if you're enjoying!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

**In which I have nothing to lose**

* * *

My_ nightmares are coming true_.

Pitch Black stepped forward from the shadows, loathing and hatred in his gaze as he sneered at me.

"I should have known never to trust a witch."

"Pitch, no…"

"You strung me along to get me to do your dirty work just so you could help the Guardians. What do they matter anymore? They can't even do their jobs; they don't deserve to be believed in."

"But we do," Envy chimed in, walking up to the Boogeyman and putting her arms around him. I felt nauseous as they seemed to reenact my nightmare.

"You were just using him to get what you wanted."

"No, I wasn't! Pitch, I swear I wasn't."

He didn't believe me, I could see it in his face. I really did care for him; if I didn't then it wouldn't hurt so much now that he was turning away from me. I tried to get to my feet, swaying from dizziness and pain, both physical and emotional.

Envy kicked my feet out from under me again and laughed as I hit the floor. Pitch's mouth twisted into a dark smile as he watched her circle me.

I put up protective walls around me to prevent her from kicking me again, and she walked right into it.

"Gah! Stupid bitch! I warned you to not get involved, now you're gonna pay!"

Her spell passed right through the walls and hit me with more force than her kicks ever could. It was magic of pure emotion. Loneliness, anger, jealousy and hatred filled me. I screamed and tears streamed down my face as I tried to fight them. I couldn't move, I could barely breathe.

I could feel her magic poisoning me, changing my thought processes and turning what I felt for Pitch into anger at his betrayal. My own spells dropped.

Envy laughed again, this couldn't have gone better if she had planned it like this. Now that the Witch of the Wind was out of commission, she could extinguish Jamie Bennett's unrelenting belief in the Guardians.

Despite the battle that was occurring less than ten feet from where he lay, Jamie was still deeply asleep. Envy reached over and ruffled his hair, almost affectionately.

"This is it, Rona. Everything the Guardians fought for, it ends with this child. Pitch, dear, will you do the honor?"

"With pleasure." He stepped forward and held his hand over the sleeping boy. Black sand swirled out from the edge of his cloak and covered his hand. Jamie cringed in his sleep, and Pitch released the fear into his sleep.

There was a moment of silence, full of tension and expectation. But nothing happened.

Envy turned to face me, but I still had not moved from where I was. I was internally fighting her spell with everything I had, almost completely unaware of what was going on around me.

"How can nothing be happening? Jamie can't believe anymore, why hasn't anything changed?"

The door creaked open then, and a small figure appeared. Sophie was rubbing her eyes with one tiny fist, the other clenched a worn stuffed rabbit. She walked right past us all, straight to Jamie's bed. She climbed up into the bed and curled up next to her big brother, yawning and closing her eyes.

"That little girl… She's the one who's keeping the Guardians alive?" Envy shook her head.

"Unbelieveable. But still reparable." She leaned down to whisper in the girl's ear.

"Your parents love Jamie more. They give him more presents at Christmas and hide the Easter eggs where he can find them every year. They leave him more money for his teeth than they'll leave you."

Sophie smiled and sighed, cuddling close to her older brother. The blood drained from Envy's face as she realized her spell was having no effect on the girl. She loved her older brother, and was too young to know jealousy. She knew that he had done great things; he had saved the Easter Bunny! Why shouldn't he get more things? She adored her older brother and there was nothing wrong if her parents loved him as much as she did.

"No way. There is no way this little brat can just ignore my spell!" Envy shrieked.

"The Guardians don't exist! Your parents and your brother lied to you and none of them are real!"

There was no change, Sophie continued to smile in her sleep.

"WHY DO YOU STILL BELIEVE? YOUR PARENTS HATE YOU AND SO DOES JAMIE! THE GUARDIANS DON'T EXIST!"

Pitch was silent as he watched a furious Envy scream at a sleeping child. It was truly pathetic.

"WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO, KILL YOU?"

"Don't touch her!" Envy turned to face me in shock as I launched myself at her.

It hadn't been a good idea to attack Envy while I was still trying to fight off her spell, but I could just barely knock her to the ground. I struggled to hold on to my memories of my sister and Ashley as I struck her as hard as I could. I knew I didn't have much time, but I needed to stop her from hurting Sophie.

She fought back, grabbing and yanking at my hair, hitting me in the chest and face. She pushed me off her and onto my back. I held my arms in front of my face, trying to protect myself from her blows. I struggled to remember Ashley, how she always made me laugh. And then I let my magic flow from me to Envy.

As the magic left me, so did the last of my will to fight her spell. The hatred and anger consumed me and my vision went black for a moment.

The force of my spell hitting Envy knocked her off me and sent her flying into the wall. She fell to the floor and sat there for a moment, dazed. Pitch frowned and put a hand to his forehead, feeling confused. Envy had to fight off my spell while trying to maintain her own, but no one can fight a battle on two fronts.

Sophie and Jamie slept on in the bed as the three of us were silent for a moment. Pitch was trying to understand his fluctuating emotions. Envy was trying to fight off the spell I had cast on her so she could finish what she started. And I was lying on the floor, unable to move. I couldn't think straight anymore, I could only feel such incredible anger and hatred.

Envy was mumbling to herself as she fought the spell. She spoke of her loneliness, how she had been excluded from everything, how no one believed in her. How the Guardians deserved this, and it had been a long time coming. She had worked too hard for this to give up now. The fucking witch would not stop her with a damned spell. She wouldn't give up and let things end like this. She couldn't.

The magic dissipated around her and Envy stood up. Her legs were shaking underneath her, but they still managed to support her as she walked back to the bed. Pitch crossed his arms as her observed, no longer confused. This had been a long time coming.

"This little girl has been so much trouble… But now it's gonna end." She leaned in close, focusing her hatred.

"No one loves you, Sophie. No one ever will. You will grow up to be nothing but a failure and a disappointment to your family. You will do nothing with your life. You will die alone, and no one will mourn you. You will fade away into dust all alone and no one will remember you."

There was still no change. Sophie slept on peacefully.

"Damn it! Pitch, give her some damned nightmares so we can be done with this!"

The black dream sand swarmed around the little girl, but the instant it touched her it turned to gold and became a dream about flying.

"No! What is wrong with this girl? HOW CAN SHE STILL BE HOLDING ON?"

She glared at the girl and took a few deep breaths.

I was still lying on the floor, struggling with these new and intense feelings of anger. I listened to Envy speaking and became even more angry and hateful. She had taken everything. She took Ashley, threatened her, and now she took Pitch away from me too. I hated her.

"Fine. If I have to kill the girl, then I will." Envy pulled out a knife- no, the letter opener. The same one she had used to threaten Ashley. My anger surged.

She raised the knife, prepared to stab Sophie. I got to my feet and walked up behind Envy. _I hate her… She had taken away everything… There's nothing left… Nothing left to lose._

I reached her just as she brought the knife down. I caught her arms from behind and in one movement redirected the blow. Instead of impaling Sophie, the letter opener was imbedded in Envy's abdomen, just below her ribs.

She gasped and I released her. She fell to the floor, her hands still gripping the letter opener. I watched as she pulled it out, her blood staining the silver blade, highlighting Ashley's engraved name.

Envy looked up at me, her eyes accusing. She was losing blood fast, her face was pale and her hands shaking.

"You did this."

Those were her last words. Envy collapsed to the floor, and as she died her magic died too.

"Oh my god…" I stood there, Envy's blood on my hands both literally and figuratively. Pitch was standing nearby, he had seen everything. Envy's body was at my feet, right next to the bed of two sleeping children.

_What have I done?_

* * *

** I can't think of anything worth writing here. The ending of this chapter honestly just... Yeah. That happened. Please favorite and follow, review to let me know your reactions to this chapter. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

**In which I am asked a question**

* * *

The next three weeks passed by in a blur to me. One thing happened after another, and I felt trapped in the middle of it, not entirely sure how to react.

The Guardians were in Burgess within ten minutes of Envy's death. They found me there, sitting on the floor next to her and staring at her body in shock. Pitch was there with me, holding me. At first they accused him of being behind it, but I shook my head; the first response they got from me. Still, they demanded that he release me. After a few minutes of arguing he did, but very reluctantly.

Bunny brought me back to the Pole while Sandy and North cleaned up the mess in Jamie's room. Sandy removed Jamie's nightmares and made sure they would sleep while North removed Envy's body.

Later I found out that Tooth was working overtime catching up on missed teeth, working to renew children's belief as quickly as possible. Jack had found Ashley; envy had been keeping her in the room where Pitch was held just a week before. He brought her back home, unharmed.

The elves brought me hot chocolate and cookies, but I wouldn't touch it. Bunny offered me chocolate eggs, claiming the sugar would help, but I turned away. My stomach was in knots, and I didn't think I'd be able to keep anything down even if I had been hungry.

Slowly but surely the lights on the globe flickered back to life, and things returned almost to normal. The Sandman brought good dreams, the tooth fairies helped people to remember their important memories of childhood. North even left presents, some sort of 'Christmas in July' gimmick.

Jack spent quite a bit of time with me for the first week, trying to cheer me up. He did a good job of it; he even got me to smile a few times. But it never lasted.

I just felt numb inside, like a part of me had been lost when I killed Envy. After a week of me being unresponsive, Sandy gave me some dream sand so I could sleep. I dreamt good dreams for the first time since I had died.

* * *

_Ashley and I were sitting in a field together. We were both wearing sundresses; it was a warm and sunny day out. A slight wind blew, moving the grass and keeping up from overheating. The sun was just beginning to set._

"_Rona, why can't we fly?" _

"_Because of gravity."_

"_Don't be so sarcastic; you know what I mean."_

"_I wasn't being sarcastic, I was being realistic."_

"_Well, I think there's a different reason."_

"_Alright, let's hear your theory."_

"_If we could all fly, what would we dream about?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_One of the most common dreams people have are flying dreams. So if we could fly, we wouldn't need to dream about flying."_

"_People walk, and I've had dreams where I walked before."_

"_It isn't the same and you know it. Flying dreams are special; they give you these incredible ideas that impossible doesn't exist. That there are no limits, both physically and mentally."_

"_When did you get so philosophical?"_

"_When you died." Oh. That was right, I had died. How did I forget that?_

"_But we're talking now."_

"_Yeah."_

"_So you can see me now? And hear me?"_

"_Yes and no. This is a dream."_

"_But I haven't had dreams since I died."_

"_The Sandman gave you dream sand, remember?" As she said it, I did remember. And I remembered why, too._

_Tears filled my eyes and I pulled my knees to my chest, staring at the ground._

"_Ash, I killed someone."_

"_I know."_

_There was a moment of silence._

"_Do you hate me?"_

"_Of course not! You're my best friend; I couldn't hate you even if I wanted to. Besides, I know you didn't have a choice."_

"_I did, and I made the wrong one."_

"_No, you didn't. First of all, Envy was evil. She was tainted by her own magic, and she couldn't feel anything but hate anymore. That's a hellish way to live. Second, she was controlling you, you didn't have any influence over your own actions. Third, if you hadn't done what you did then she would never have stopped. Even if you had broken her influence somehow without killing her, she would still have her magic, and she would try again."_

"_But-"_

"_No buts, Rona. I know you feel guilty, but you did the right thing. You saved the Guardians, and childhood. And me. If things hadn't gone exactly the way they had, she would have come back and killed me." _

"_You really don't hate me for it?"_

"_No. I admire you for it. And the real Ashley would too. I'm proud of you for not giving up. Now stop sulking and wake up."_

When I woke up I began to cry again, but I started to feel a little bit better.

* * *

I still didn't speak to anyone, but I began to do things again. I walked around the Pole and watch the toys being made. I even had a few cookies. But it wasn't until they finally let Pitch in to see me that I started to talk again.

He had been pleading with them for the entire week and a half for them to let him see me, but they had turned him down every time. I was in the globe room when I heard heavy footsteps behind me and turned to see North escorting a certain Boogeyman.

I ran to him and nearly knocked him down as I held on to him tightly. He embraced me, and I felt his lips against my forehead for a moment. We stayed like that for a few minutes before North cleared his throat awkwardly, and we pulled away from one another. That's when I began to talk again.

I told Pitch about everything that had happened since the last time I saw him (most of which he already knew, but he listened politely anyways). I told him about the dream I had had, about speaking with Ashley there and realizing then that I had done nothing wrong.

He smiled at me and reiterated Ashley's words.

"Of course you did nothing wrong. You saved lives, little witch. You're a hero."

I still didn't feel like a hero, but having him nearby and knowing that he didn't think less of me for what had happened helped a lot.

* * *

The Guardians were still wary of Pitch over the next week, but they seemed to accept that they had all been under the same spell. Jack still hated him, but he put up with it as a favor to me.

Some days I almost felt normal, as if I could forget what had happened entirely. But once in a while there were days where I got into bed and just laid there, unable to stop thinking about Envy. On those days Pitch would sit there with me. He didn't say anything, and he didn't have to. Something about him just comforted me.

It went like this for a few more weeks, two steps forward and one step back. I began flying again, starting with just around the Pole. After a few days of this I ventured back out into the world.

I flew over the town I used to live in, but didn't land there. I wasn't ready for that yet. I visited the Tooth Palace and waved at Tooth as I passed by. I passed over Bunny's warren, and paused somewhere in Eastern Europe to watch Sandy bring dreams to the children there.

The last place I decided to visit was the caves Pitch had taken me to. The globe in the main room glowed brightly, a sharp change from the last time I had seen it. I landed there and watched it turn for a while. A shadow grew behind me and Pitch stepped forward to stand next to me.

"I never got the chance to apologize to you for the nightmares."

"It's alright, you were trying to protect me." I turned and scowled at him.

"Don't do it again." He laughed at my attempted look of anger.

"I will make no promises. After all, it is my job to frighten you."

"I think you've done enough of that for quite a while."

We paused for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts. Pitch seemed to hesitate before speaking again.

"That night, under Envy's control, she made me believe something I had not even considered before. And ever since I cannot help but wonder…" He stepped directly in front of me, looking me straight in the face.

"That spell you cast on me to break Envy's… It did more to me than free me from her influence. It changed me. Did you cast it with an alternative purpose?"

"What?"

"Did you put a spell on me to make me help you? To make me love you?"

* * *

**Every chapter brings us closer to the end of the story, and now we're left to wonder what kind of an ending it will be. Please favorite and follow and review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

**In which I cry**

* * *

I couldn't believe it. After everything that had happened, dying, coming back, meeting people I thought weren't real, even killing someone. It all came down to one question.

"Did you put a spell on me to make me help you? To make me love you?"

"No. I would never do that. I was just trying to break the spell Envy had on you, it wasn't supposed to do anything else-"

"But is it possible that it did something other than what you intended?"

"I… I don't know. I don't think so. If it had, wouldn't the spell have been broken when Envy put her spell back on you?"

He was silent as he considered this.

"If what you were feeling wasn't real, then you wouldn't have continued to feel it after that."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking tired.

"Perhaps you are right. But I feel as though I cannot be sure."

"When I was trapped in those nightmares I wouldn't have been able to keep a spell on you, you would have felt differently."

"Can you be certain?"

"Why are you doubting me? I enjoy being around you, despite how rude and sarcastic you are to everyone. You were trying to protect me earlier, what's changed?"

"I have had enough of my emotions being manipulated by others."

"I'm not doing that. I never have, not to you. Anything that you're feeling right now is real, I promise."

"Perhaps."

We stood there, him questioning the truth of his feelings and me wondering where his doubt was coming from. I thought back to the past few weeks, to how he hadn't said much to me. I had thought he was giving me time to recover, but had he been suspecting me of putting him under a spell that whole time? Did he really not trust me?

"Little witch… If you did place a spell on me, remove it. Please. There will be no consequences, I promise. But release me."

_You aren't under a spell_. I wanted to say it so badly, but he wouldn't believe me. It wouldn't change this; he didn't want to be around me anymore. He didn't want to have feelings for me.

I stepped back and broke eye contact so he couldn't see how close I was to crying. I had a choice to make now. I could walk away and let him believe I had cast a spell on him to make him love me and be stuck with feelings for me when he didn't want them. Or I could cast an actual spell on him, one that would suppress any feelings he had for me. He would still believe I had cast a spell on him before, but at least it wouldn't really hurt him. He wouldn't care about anything that concerned me.

"I'm sorry."

I knew exactly what kind of emotion I would need to power this kind of magic- indifference. That's what he wanted to feel. I thought of many things I didn't really care about, trying as hard as I could to ignore exactly what it was I was doing.

The magic left me and went to Pitch. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they regarded me with a sort of bored look.

"I thought so. Goodbye, little witch." The Boogeyman faded into the shadows and I watched him go.

* * *

I returned to the Pole a few hours later and went to the room North had arranged for me without speaking a word to anyone. I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling, lost in my thoughts. After an hour, someone knocked at my door. I didn't answer so they came in anyways.

"Hey, are you okay?" It was Jack Frost, being nosy as always.

"I'm fine."

"Riiiight." He hopped up onto the bed, bringing with him a rush of cold air. Instead of making it warmer I just closed my eyes and shivered.

"So… Where's Pitch?"

"Why, are you looking for him?"

"Wha?- no! I'm just wondering because, you know, he's always around you."

"Don't worry about it."

"That doesn't sound good." He sat down and grinned, then seemed to think better about his facial expression and frowned.

"I'm sorry."

"Doesn't really matter." I knew I was shutting down again, but I didn't care much at this point. My best friend couldn't see me and had her life put in danger because of me. I had allowed myself to develop feelings for the Boogeyman who then rejected me, and I had killed someone. I barely knew myself anymore.

After Jack left I locked the door behind him, and then got back into bed. I stayed in that room for the next three days, drifting in and out of a dreamless sleep. I gave in to the feeling of apathy that I had been trying to fight since that night in the Bennett house. I stopped trying to do anything. I didn't see the point of trying anymore.

* * *

Two weeks later, the North, Bunny, Tooth and Sandy were waiting for me in the globe room. They had sent the Yetis to kick in my door, which seemed a bit excessive, and 'escort' me to them. I was a bit confused at the rough treatment, but went with them willingly enough.

North had his arms crossed, but he didn't look angry, and Bunny just looked bored. Tooth was giving orders to some of her fairies, but seemed a bit more excited than usual. Sandy was smiling warmly, as if he knew something I didn't.

"Am I in trouble or something?"

"No, no, is nothing like that." North grabbed a plate of cookies from some nearby elves and offered them to me but I shook my head.

"So why I am here?"

"Is… what you kids say… Intervention."

"We were worried about you," Tooth chimed in.

"You've been through a lot, and staying locked up inside that room isn't going to help."

"And this is supposed to help how?"

"Wait for it." Bunny said.

There were a few moments of silence.

"If that was someone's cue, they missed it. Can I go back to bed now?"

"Wait, wait, don't go yet. Jack is bringing surprise for you; he has been working on it all week. You must wait for him to get here." I didn't think there was anything Jack Frost could bring that would actually help, but the other Guardians insisted.

Jack was nearly an hour late, but a sudden snowfall inside the globe room heralded his long-anticipated arrival. I got up from where I was sitting and then stopped where I was when I saw who was with him.

"Ashley." Jack gently lowered her to the floor five feet in front of me. She was looking around in wonder at the Guardians, the toys flying around the globe, and the globe itself. I stood there and watched her staring, unable to speak.

All of the sudden she turned to look at Jack.

"Is she here?"

"Yep. She's right there." Jack pointed right at me, and her gaze followed. But she looked straight past me.

"I can't see her…"

"You have to believe."

"I do believe! I believe in Rona."

"More than just that. You need to believe in her, not just her name but who she is now."

"I… I believe in the Witch of the Wind. I believe-" Her eyes focused on me and widened in shock.

"Rona?"

"Hi, Ashley."

"Rona!" She ran to me and nearly tackled me to the floor with a hug. I held on to her as tightly as I could. After a full minute we were still hugging, and both of us were crying as well. When we finally pulled away, wiping away our tears and grinning at each other like a couple of idiots, I saw that the Guardians had cleared the room to give us some privacy.

"I've missed you so much, Ash. And I have so much to tell you."

* * *

Two hours and a full plate of chocolate chip cookies later Ashley was listening in shock as I told her how Pitch had asked me if I had put a spell on him, and even though I hadn't I let him believe that I had.

"I didn't want him to continue feeling the way seemed to about me if he thought those feelings weren't real… So I did cast a spell on him; one that would make him not care about me anymore."

"If it helps, he sounded like a real jerk."

"He could be, but I don't think he was as bad as he thought he was. He's actually kind of funny sometimes."

"Still a jerk."

"Ash!"

"I call 'em like I see 'em."

"And when did you see him?"

"Semantics."

We laughed together, and in that moment I knew I would be okay. My best friend was here, and she would help me get through anything.

* * *

**This chapter was bittersweet for a couple of reasons; one was what was happening in the story, the other was that the next chapter is the last for this story. Please favorite, follow and review!**


	19. Epilogue

**A Brief Epilogue**

* * *

Pitch was watching the Pole from a distance, mounted on one of his NightMares. It had been a month since he had last seen her, and there had been a hollow ache in his chest. He could not figure out the reason for it. He didn't care for her, and he never had. It had all been a spell, a lie.

So why was he still here, watching her from afar?

The moon shone down on him, watching as well. The Man in the Moon had seen everything, and he knew the truth. What Pitch had felt for Rona were his own emotions, emotions he had been suppressing for centuries. He was afraid of those feelings, and the memories that surfaced with them.

Despite Rona's spell, his feelings were still there. And little by little the memories of the time he spent with her would chip away at the spell. The more he thought about her, the more he would miss her. And he would think about her often.

* * *

**This story seems to have ended way too fast. At least, it has for me writing it. It's been so much fun getting into the characters and writing out their stories. Make sure you keep an eye out; this won't be the last time you hear from me.**


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